The Muggle and The Centaur
by Storyseeker
Summary: The "Forbidden" Forest is meant to be just that, especially to Muggles. An unlucky young Muggle woman finds out why. (Warning: some mature themes)
1. Chapter 1

**_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JFK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_**

**_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._**

**_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_**

**_This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'! _**

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**Scotland; Private Airport;**

**0200PM:**

Rebecca stood outside the heliport, her arms crossed and her left shoe impatiently tapping on the concrete, as she waited for both her friend and her pilot to arrive. She hated waiting!

Today was her eighteenth birthday, and as a _special_ birthday treat, her parents had arranged for her to have her very own private helicopter ride.

'Whoop-de-doo…'

She chewed on some gum to calm her nerves, enjoying the sweet sugary taste in her mouth, as the flavour slowly dissipated, while checking her nails for the fifteenth time. The people at the front-desk had assured her that the pilot would not be long, and had told her to wait outside near the landing area.

She looked around again, but there wasn't even anything interesting to watch. Aside from vast runways of concrete for the landing of helicopters and small aeroplanes, and the surrounding countryside beyond the small airport, it was all pretty dull.

"Hey, Becky!" a loud cheery voice called out to her.

Rebecca turned and gave a small smile to her approaching friend, Chloe, as the smaller girl hurried across the concrete surface to reach her. Chloe had always been the short one between the two of them, and young adulthood had not changed anything in that perspective. Presently, she was five feet tall.

She and Chloe had been friends since they were about seven. They had gone to the same school, City of London School for Girls, and had rarely left each other's side since.

The two of them were both equally beautiful, with sunny-blonde hair, blue eyes and fit physiques, though their sense of fashion differed like the day from the night. While Rebecca preferred having a large assortment of colours to choose from, Chloe always wore plain old black. Apparently she thought it made her look sexy and dangerous, yet elegant and refined.

Just looking at her, anyone would think that she was one of those moody girls who never smiled and talked about death and sorrow non-stop, only to get a large shock when they did talk to her. She was the living incarnation of the old saying 'never judge a book by its cover'.

Forget about moody, as Chloe was prone to large bursts of energy, laughing and chattering away almost constantly. She greeted every day with a big smile and a cheery laugh, something that tended to grind on Rebecca's nerves a lot, but she was long since used to it.

They had hit it off as friends right away because they each came from two of the most respected and wealthy families in the London area. Chloe's family, the Smiths, were all CEOs and business investors, while Rebecca's family were mostly politicians. Rebecca's father, Harold Leicester, was a Member of Parliament, and as such his political career was a…_delicate_ one, to say the least, as tabloids were always on the prowl for any string of gossip that could potentially damage his reputation.

Because of this, her family's lives had to be strictly controlled. They naturally couldn't afford to take any chances concerning her father's career. Rebecca's mother, Veronica Leicester, did not work, but spent most of her time organising fancy dinner parties for her husband's political guests and benefit events for charities, a benefit for both the charities and for her husband's campaign.

"Hello, Chloe," Rebecca greeted her friend.

"Sorry I'm late," Chloe apologised. "The restaurant at the hotel was short staffed, and they got my breakfast order wrong. I had to wait half an hour before they got it right."

"Tragic," Rebecca murmured.

"Oh, don't be such a misery guts today, please," Chloe moaned. "Today is your birthday, and your parents went through an awful lot of trouble to arrange this trip for us."

"Yes, hooray for us," Rebecca muttered, and then sighed.

They had finished school several months ago, and were now planning to go to University. Chloe, of course, was going to study subjects such as Business Studies and maths, and no doubt follow in the footsteps of her family as a future CEO.

Rebecca, on the other hand, had a different kind of career in store for her.

Her parents had been very particular about her education. From the day she had first started walking and talking, she had received only the best tutors that money could buy. Thanks to all her extra tutoring, she had received only straight A's on every report card, allowing her entry into any school she could want. Her father wanted her to go to Oxford, as he had done, but her mother wanted her to attend Cambridge, claiming it had a better atmosphere to it. But whichever school she chose, she was going there to study Medical Sciences and be a doctor. It had been a dream of theirs since she was little.

Rebecca had to admit that she liked the look of Cambridge better than Oxford.

"Miss Leicester?" a voice broke her out of her musing.

"Yes?" she replied, looking to her right and seeing a man in a pilot's uniform. He was well built, but bald, around his mid-thirties, and had a goatee.

"I'm John Doncaster," the man said. "I'll be your pilot for your ride."

"How exciting," Rebecca replied, none too enthusiastically. "Well, we're ready when you are. Just show us the way."

The pilot gave her a curious look, but shrugged it off, pointing toward a helicopter on one of the landing bays. "This way, please."

Rebecca followed him. Chloe had not stopped talking, but then she never did. She didn't truly mind though, as that had always been the nature of their friendship. Chloe was a talker; Rebecca was a listener.

As a gift for finishing school, both of their parents had paid for a first class holiday for them around the world. They had travelled to Egypt, Greece, California, Australia, and finally back to the good old U.K.

It had been a miserable day when they had returned home. After spending months travelling to exotic places, only to come back to cold and foggy England, Rebecca had felt ready to crawl into bed and remain there for the rest of the year.

Still, the trip was not over quite yet. Since her birthday was a few days after their return home, Rebecca's parents had added an extra few days to their holiday by sending them to a high-class hotel in Scotland. Her parents were supposed to fly over in a private helicopter a couple of days later, but her father had some unexpected business to take care of, which really wasn't all that unexpected. Her father had paid for the helicopter to be sent down to her, though, saying she could use it to see more of the country, so at least she got a free helicopter ride out of it.

Rebecca would sooner be riding camels in Egypt or scuba diving in Greece, but she supposed it was better than nothing. At least, Chloe certainly seemed to be having a good time.

She noticed the pilot taking small glances at her every now and then, which she had to smile at.

Rebecca knew she and Chloe were fair beauties to gawk at. If not for the difference in their heights, they would be hard to differentiate. The years of strict dieting, gymnastics, beauty spa treatments…not to mention the nose-job that she had had for her sweet sixteenth, had worked wonders.

Their nicknames at school had been Barbie and Sindy, like the dolls. Though she disliked the analogy, she had to admit that the names had been perfect for them. They had been dead-ringers for the famed dolls, with their blonde hair, blue eyes, slender bodies and shiny faces with bright smiles painted on them.

The only differences between them was that Rebecca was taller than Chloe, close to five and a half feet tall, and of course her blonde hair was natural, but the annoying bright smile that felt like it was plastered onto her face was not.

A few of the many duties of a politician's daughter was to be polite, dress smart, act accordingly and always have a big bright smile on your face when greeting or speaking to guests.

Sometimes, Rebecca felt like she had a coat-hanger lodged in her mouth, what with all the smiling she did, which most of the time was insincere.

"Buckle up, ladies," the pilot said, as he opened the door of the helicopter for them, ushering them inside. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" he joked.

Chloe laughed, but Rebecca was already bored.

'Should have stayed in California,' she thought.

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For a long half hour, the helicopter flew them over the glorious landscapes of Scotland. Chloe was practically bouncing in her seat at all the beautiful acres of fields, forests and tiny houses seen from far above.

Rebecca, on the other hand, sat bored out of her mind, as the pilot flew the helicopter and Chloe idly chatted away.

"Oh, by the way," Chloe suddenly said. "Did I tell you about my cousin Tommy? You know, the brunette with the lisp?"

Rebecca turned to look at her. "Is he the short one who keeps wriggling his nose like a rabbit all the time?"

"That's the one," Chloe admitted. "Seems he's gotten himself into a bit of bother at school."

"What else is new?" she mumbled. Chloe's cousin came from one of the more middle-class branches of her family who lived in Surrey. She remembered he was ten years old, but looked small enough to be eight, had a lisp when he talked, and wore big thick glasses. As a result, he was often bullied at school.

"There's this big kid at his school," Chloe went on. "His name's Dudley… I think his surname's Dynasty, Derby… or something like that. I mean, who has a first and last name that sound like the other? That is just _sooo _tacky!" She giggled. "And he's a bit of a porker apparently. Got an arse bigger than a rhino's!" She sniggered, but then looked serious. "Seems he gets his jollies out of picking on kids smaller than him. What a creep!"

Rebecca resisted a snort at that last comment, as she and Chloe used to take great pleasure in picking on some of the lower class girls in their school: the ones who weren't as rich, who couldn't afford the latest style in clothes, decent make-up, and had to be picked up on the last day of term in a simple car driven by their parents, instead of a chauffer-driven limousine, as they were.

Chloe continued going on about her cousin's current plight, while Rebecca's mood went beyond bored to just sick and tired with seeing the same type of thing over and over again out of the helicopter-window.

Okay, Scotland was a beautiful country, there was no doubt about that, but how many fields and forests could a person take? Once you've seen one of them, you've seen them all.

"Isn't there anywhere else with a bit more view to it than just trees and grass?" she asked, frustrated. If she ever saw the colour green again after this, it would be too soon.

The pilot spared her a glance, shrugging. "Afraid that's all there really is, Miss. I can head toward the town if you like… "

"No!" Rebecca said, a little forcefully. After growing up in Britain's capital city, a town was like a dolls-village, even when she wasn't looking down upon it from high up. "Just take us a bit further out… that way." She pointed toward the east.

The pilot frowned. "We're not really scheduled to go that way, Miss…"

"Whose father is paying for this ride, _and_ your salary?" Rebecca queried harshly, giving him a hard look.

John held her look for a moment, but then sighed and pushed on the control stick to the right, heading in the direction.

"You do know how to get your way, don't you?" Chloe chuckled.

Rebecca shrugged. "I always do."

They continued flying across country for about another twenty minutes or so, but the scenery was pretty much the same as before… all green.

"Well, this was certainly a waste of time," Rebecca grumbled, until a long stretch of forested land caught her eye. "What's over there?" she asked.

The pilot looked in the direction of her finger. "That's Hogsmeade Forest," he replied.

"Hogsmeade?" Rebecca wrinkled her nose. "What's that? Some sort of pig farming community or something?"

John visibly resisted rolling his eyes. "No, it's just a deserted village, Miss. No one's lived there for hundreds of years."

Rebecca shrugged. "Oh well, sounds better than nothing. Let's go and take a look."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Miss." John shook his head. "This whole area is considered off limits. No land or air vehicle is allowed anywhere near or within its vicinity."

Rebecca stared at him. "What, is this whole land private property or something?" she asked in disbelief. "It looks bigger than London!"

"Nevertheless, we are not permitted to be here," the pilot said, as he prepared to change course.

"No, wait," Rebecca interrupted. "We'll just go for a quick look, and then come back. If anyone asks, we'll just say the wind blew us off course or something, okay?"

The pilot looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "Miss, I'm truly sorry, but we can't venture any further. If we do, I could lose my…"

"You are here per your superior's instructions, correct?" Rebecca snapped. At his nod, she continued harshly, "And they were operating under my father's instructions. Therefore, unless you want me to give my father a disappointing report of your miserable excuse for flying, which he will then give to your superiors…you will take us there now!"

Doncaster gripped the control stick a little tighter, but finally he relented. "Heading into Hogsmeade," he said, pushing the helicopter forward.

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A few minutes passed, and the helicopter had entered into the official vicinity of the apparently abandoned village of Hogsmeade.

"No wonder it was abandoned," Rebecca murmured, viewing the primitive buildings that were now in ruins. "Is there anything else here besides decrepit architecture?"

"Not that I'm aware of, Miss," John replied, now speaking only in a professional manner. "I hear there's an old castle somewhere near here, but that's just ruins, too."

"My, what big woodland," Chloe said, her eyes growing wider than saucers, as she surveyed the gigantic woodland below. "It must be bigger than the Mersey Forest."

"Don't be silly, Chloe," Rebecca scoffed. "The Mersey Forest is the largest of the twelve community forests in the U.K. Don't you think someone would have reported there being a larger forest by now, if there was one?"

Chloe grumbled. "Are you serious? No way can there possibly be any type of woodland bigger than this place here! Just take a look and…" She didn't get to finish what she was about to say, when the helicopter made a sharp jolt to the right.

"What's happening?" Chloe squealed in fright.

"Just some turbulence," their pilot reported. "There's a storm brewing up. We'd better head back…"

"How bad is the storm?" Rebecca asked.

"Not too bad for the moment," John answered. "But it could worsen anytime. We should…"

"Not just yet," Rebecca replied. "Whereabouts is the storm?"

"Just in front of us."

"Fine, head over the forest then."

"_Excuse me?" _

"Just satisfy my friend's curiosity over here!" Rebecca said, her frustration growing. "She seems to be under the belief that this place is bigger than the Mersey Forest, biggest one in the United Kingdom. Just go and get a better view of the forest to…"

"I'm sorry, Miss Leicester, but absolutely no way!" John Doncaster told her, setting his foot down. "Maybe another time, but it is never a good idea to fly in any kind of stormy weather… especially when you're near the eye of one, too."

Rebecca looked aghast at him. "How dare you!" she yelled. "You have no right to deny me my…"

"I have every right when _I_ am the pilot," he noted. "One day, when you have your pilot's license and your own helicopter, you can go fly off into typhoons, hurricanes and anything else you want. But for right now, I am not going to risk my neck just to satisfy some rich brat's curiosity."

Rebecca glared at him. "You good for…"

_[KA-BOOM!] _

A loud explosion rocked the helicopter, knocking it to the side. Chloe squealed, as she held onto her seatbelt for dear life, while Rebecca just clung onto her friend's arm as though for support.

"What's happening?" Chloe said, her voice in a state of panic.

"The engine's down!" John swore, his hands gripping the control stick tightly. "I'm gonna have to make an emergency landing! Hold onto your knickers!"

The two girls screamed, as the helicopter lost control and started to spin round and around.

John felt a cold sweat upon his forehead, as he continued gripping the stick until his knuckles turned white, doing his best to hold it steady. The force of the wind swirled all around them, as the helicopter spun fiercely.

He didn't even notice the approaching branches of the trees, before they crashed right through them.

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From the sensitive ears of the Unicorns who dwelled within the heart of the Forest, to the Gnomes who lived beneath the earth itself, there was not a single creature within the Forbidden Forest that did not hear the shuddering crash that echoed throughout the woods.

The Hippogriffs, which were in the middle of their daily hunt, raised their heads at the loud sound of the crash. Despite being part horse, their diet tended to lean more towards the Griffin side of their lineage, preferring raw flesh.

A pride of Manticores lay in the sunlight, happily munching on the spoils of their own hunt, but stopped when they heard the unfamiliar sound echo throughout their forest, growling in apprehension.

And from elsewhere, another creature raised itself upon its eight legs, making loud clicking noises, as it scampered in fright at the noise. But no matter how strong its fear was, its hunger was even _stronger_.

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Rebecca moaned, as she slowly opened her eyes, wondering if she would be seeing the pearly gates of Heaven when she did.

Instead, all she saw…was a huge spider sitting on a leaf right in front of her, looking at her curiously.

"EWWW!" she yelped, striking out at the arachnid with her hand, shooing it away.

"Mmmm…" a low moan came from behind her.

Rebecca turned and saw her friend lying in an awkward position, her arm bent at an impossible angle.

"Chloe?" she asked her friend urgently. "Are you okay?"

Her friend moaned again, and hissed when she tried to move. "I think…my arm is broken," she whispered.

Rebecca winced. "I think that goes without saying," she said, eyeing the now odd structure of the arm in question.

"Urgh…everyone all right?" the voice of the pilot, John Doncaster, groaned.

"Chloe's arm is broken," Rebecca told him.

"Hold on," John said, as he started shuffling about on his seat. A few moments later, the door of the helicopter opened, and he stepped out and came round to Chloe's side of the aircraft.

He opened the door and started to inspect Chloe's wound.

"This needs to be set right away," he explained. "Go and find me a branch to use as a splint."

Rebecca looked at him oddly for a moment.

"Now!" he added more forcefully, urging Rebecca to quickly obey.

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**Hogwarts; Dumbledore's Study; **

**Same Time:**

Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, sat grading papers at his desk, his faithful friend Fawkes, a Phoenix, crooning on his perch beside him.

He frowned, attempting to concentrate on the enormous stack of papers on his desk, but for the moment his mind was on other, more important, matters.

Ever since he had first heard of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, he had been going through the flow of emotions inside him. Part of him prayed for Sirius's safety, yet also he feared for Harry's, even though he knew Sirius was not the one responsible for the death of Harry's parents. He had known Sirius too long to ever believe that he would kill his oldest friends, but he had no more proof of that today than he'd had twelve years ago. Until those facts were changed, Sirius was a wanted man.

He had felt like this at Black's trial years ago, and even after all these years, nothing had changed. He knew Sirius was innocent, no doubt about that, but the evidence presented to the Ministry of Magic had been too strong to challenge. He did not know for sure what had really happened to Peter Pettigrew, but he did not believe that Sirius had had anything to do with his death.

'Peter Pettigrew…' his thoughts went to that of his former pupil. He had always found Peter to be an odd sort of boy, and his maturity into adulthood had certainly not swayed his feelings.

"Albus!" a shrill voice called out to him.

Dumbledore looked up in surprise, as Professor McGonagall raced into his study. "Minerva, what is it?" he asked, seeing her flushed face.

"There are Muggles inside the Forbidden Forest!"

At first, all Dumbledore could do was blink, as he stared at her, wondering if he had heard correctly. "Muggles?" he said in wonder, as such a thing was not meant to be possible. "What happened?"

Ever since the founding of Hogwarts, every precaution had been taken to ensure that no Muggle would ever approach the castle or even the Forest. Every time when a Muggle got too close to either, the enchantments would make them see an illusion, often a warning sign or sometimes even a mirage of impending danger, which would frighten them away from the school. The closer they got to Hogwarts, the more severe the supposed danger would be.

And even if by some chance they were able to get to Hogwarts, they still wouldn't be able to see it, as the spells of illusion disguised the entire school, making it appear as nothing more than mere ruins.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "I don't know for certain, Albus. Apparently, the Muggles were in one of those confounded flying contraptions of theirs… a helipad, I think, and it crash-landed right into the Forest!"

"I think you mean a helicopter," Dumbledore said, smiling briefly, but then quickly looked serious. "Contact the Ministry's Security Department immediately. We will need them to send a Muggle retrieval squad to us at once. If there are Muggles in the Forbidden Forest, then they have no idea of the danger they are in."

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**The Forbidden Forest: **

Chloe squeaked, biting her lip in pain, while John Doncaster reset her arm, the bones cracking beneath the skin as he did so, and setting it with a large branch Rebecca had found, bandaging it with his own shirt.

Rebecca seemed more concerned with checking her nails than she was with her friend's health, but then that was just Rebecca's way… she never liked to show that she cared about anything other than herself. John looked over at her but, seeing her merely filing her nails, he merely gave her a look of disgust before turning back to the injured girl in his care. He never noticed Rebecca turning her head back every few seconds to check on her friend.

"When will help be arriving?" she asked the pilot.

John turned to her. "I've activated the distress signal on the helicopter. With any luck, they should probably be able to locate us within the next hour or so."

"_Probably_?"

John shrugged. "I can only give you an estimation."

"I thought rescue missions were supposed to be an _on the job _kind of thing!" Rebecca hissed. "You know, leap into action and all that!"

"They are," John replied, seething beneath his breath. "But I can't be certain that our signal is getting through to them."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked miserably, groaning as John finished bandaging her arm.

John just shrugged. "I can't explain it, but there seems to be some kind of interference out here, though I don't know from where. It might be blocking the radio signal."

"So what does that mean for us then?" Rebecca insisted.

"It means we just have to wait here for the time being. Like I said, I can't be certain the signal is getting through, but I can't be certain that it _isn't_ either. Our best bet is to stay where we are for now and wait. If they can track our signal then they'll follow it here to where the chopper has crashed. It won't do us any good if we leave before they get here."

"And just how long are we supposed to wait here then?" Rebecca sneered. "Until Chloe's arm falls off, maybe?"

"Look!" John said, frustrated. "We'll wait here until I say so, not before, all right? If no one comes then we'll just have to try and make our own way back."

"Through all this thicket?" Rebecca scoffed.

"Well, do you have a better idea, _Miss_ Leicester?" John replied, almost sneering at her. He knew he was taking a chance by being rude around rich toffs like this one, but this girl was sure asking for it.

For a moment, Rebecca Leicester said nothing, as she just stared at him with a murderous glare in her eyes. Then she turned and started to walk away.

"Hey!" John quickly yelled. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Mind your own business!" Rebecca yelled back at him.

"It is my business when you're my responsibility and you're about to go wandering off into a large and unfamiliar forest!" John started to go after her.

Rebecca turned back to face him. "I'm going to the little girl's room! Is that okay with you, Mr. Pilot, or do you think I need an escort?"

John blushed a little, but didn't lose his aggravated look. "Fine, but don't go too far, okay?" he warned.

Rebecca laughed a little at him. "Why, do you think I'm going to get mauled by an angry lion or something? This is _Britain_, remember? The most dangerous animals we have here are foxes and badgers."

Before John could reply, she turned and walked into the thicket, beyond his sight.

"Is she always like this?" he asked the girl called Chloe, as he went to check on her arm again.

Chloe gave a small laugh. "You're lucky. You're seeing her on one of her better days!"

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Rebecca headed deeper into the forest, with no thought of stopping.

As far as her bladder was concerned, she was fine. She had lied to Doncaster just so she could get away from him for a while.

If there was one thing that Rebecca hated beyond all else, it was when someone didn't show her proper respect. After all, she was the daughter of one of Parliament's most distinguished members. Who was this scruffy upstart of a pilot to speak to her so rudely?

She would go hide in the forest for a little while, make him worry. That would teach the idiot what for. She knew he would worry only about what her family would do if anything ever happened to her, and not about her safety in itself, but worry was worry no matter what it was about. It was good enough.

Rebecca was not stupid though. She knew better than to go running off alone into a deep dark forest that she had no clue about. She would only walk for a short while and hide out, probably behind one of the trees. Then, once she was sure that John Doncaster had sweated enough; she would go back.

But, unknown to her, there was someone…or some_thing_ else in the forest with her, watching her every move, observing how she was leaving the safety of her friends, and that she was all alone…and it was definitely _not_ a fox or a badger.

Rebecca walked a little further, until she heard the sound of running water, probably a river.

"Well, at least we won't die of thirst," she said to herself. She wondered briefly if she should forget about this whole trick on Doncaster, and go get a canteen to bring back some water for the others.

The rustling of several branches paused her thoughts before she could decide. She turned around, but saw nothing.

"Hello," she called out. "Is someone there?"

No answer

She just shrugged, assuming it to be no more than a rustle of the wind through the trees. She was in a forest, after all.

Rebecca was about to continue heading towards the river, once she discovered where it was, when she heard it again…

This time she knew it was no mere rustle, as the sound did not match. This sound was like the patter of little feet, but it was definitely not the sound of a child's that she was hearing. The pattering was too quick for a child, and it sounded like several feet were moving all at once.

"Hello?" she called out a little louder this time, but again she received no reply.

The pattering noise stopped.

Rebecca felt the beginnings of a cold sweat, as the creepy feeling that she was being watched came upon her.

The pattering soon started again, only this time it was much closer than it had been when it first started, but still she could not see the source of it.

Feeling the anxiety beginning to creep up her spine, she spun her head from side to side, but still she could see nothing.

As the sound came so near to her that it felt like, whatever it was, was almost right on top of her. That was when she realised that she had been looking in every direction _except_ up.

Staring up at the tree-branches that blocked the sky from her view, she only had to look through them for a few seconds before she found what it was that had been stalking her. But when she found it, she wished she hadn't.

It was the largest, most gigantic and hideously terrifying spider that she had ever seen before in her entire life!

Rebecca froze, standing there like an idiot, her eyes growing wider by the second, as she stared in disbelief at the monstrosity above her.

The thing knew that she had seen it, but it didn't seem concerned. It just stared down at her with its numerous eyes, as it hung by its web, neither blinking nor attacking, before starting to make its way down the tree that it was perched on. It didn't move quickly or seem to be in a hurry, as it just took its time, moving steadily down the bark.

It was as big as a large dog, covered in thick black hair, legs with a span of about four to five feet wide, and a pair of gigantic fangs spouting from its mouth. It looked like something from an old monster movie, like that old film _The Fly_, at the end where the little fly had been trapped in a web and was about to be devoured by a huge spider.

If that spider had been a real giant, this one could very well be its baby.

She had had nightmares for weeks after she had seen that film, and even today had to bite her tongue whenever a spider, even the pitifully micro-sized ones, came near her.

'It can't be real,' Rebecca thought, close to panic, refusing to acknowledge what she was seeing right before her. 'It just can't be… There are no spiders this size in real life. Someone would have found out about them by now if there were. It would have been in newspapers and on the telly and…'

The monster spider soon reached the bottom of the tree, its eyes never leaving her (or most of them anyway). And out of all the things she feared and detested most about the sight of this creature, she especially did _**not**_ like the look that it was now giving her.

The giant eight-legged stalker remained where it was, at the foot of the tree it had just climbed down. It watched her every move, as if waiting for her to strike.

"Chloe…" she said what, in her mind, had been a scream crying out for help, but which came out in barely a whisper.

The creature made no movement, except when one of its many legs took a small step back and forth, its eyes and fangs hungry for the tender fresh _meat_ before it. Unlike its father, Aragog, it had not been given a name by the friendly half-giant, and was known only by its species' title: _Acromantula_.

Normally, it would never have ventured this far out from their nest, but there had been unforeseen circumstances…

It had been out hunting with several of its kind when they had come across a small pride of Manticores, and like all good hunters they had attempted to subdue them. But they had severely underestimated the Manticore's intelligence, strength and ferocity.

The large lion-like beasts, with the Scorpion tail and the Human head, had been quick to repel the Acromantula' attack. Unlike the young Acromantulas whose minds were little more than beastial, the Manticores were a very intelligent race and were also known as one of the world's most dangerous creatures. But of course, the Acromantulas hadn't known this. They had only seen what had looked like a possible meal for them and had attacked.

The Manticores had fought viciously, and had quickly subdued and killed them. Only the lone Acromantula had survived by fleeing deeper into the forest until it was sure they had stopped pursuing it. The last time it had seen its would-be prey, they had been returning to their hunting ground with the rest of the Acromantula' fallen brethren, from whence it had then heard the sounds of a soft crooning, a sign of the Manticores beginning their feast.

It had remained deep within the forest for a short while until it was certain the Manticores were gone, and it was then when it had heard a new sound.

It had never heard a sound like it before, like the noise of a giant bee with its loud buzzing, followed by a tremendous crash that seemed to vibrate throughout the entire forest. A short while later, it had spotted a few humans by the wreckage of a strange large metal thing, and soon one of them had left its nest-mates.

Its kind had always been partial to the taste of human flesh. This meat was not the big one called Hagrid that its father had taught it and its siblings not to touch, nor was she even the two young ones that had ventured into their nest and escaped a year ago. Those two had fought like the Manticores, refusing to become prey, killing with harsh magic, but this one was no predator. This one was true _prey_ and, as there were none of the Acromantula's brethren nearby, it would have no need to share.

Rebecca swallowed the growing lump in her throat, as the creature took another step forward. It had begun to snap its huge fangs at her, making loud clicking noises.

Her grandfather had once been on safari and had told her about some of the big game that he had seen there, and the important lessons that he had learnt when faced with a real-live predator. Right now though, her fear was making it hard for her to even remember her own name, let alone something her grandfather told her years ago.

She began to step backward, as it came slowly forward, her nerves taught and her movements jerky. The monster snapped at her with its fangs, snarling and clicking, and that was all that she could take, as she turned tail and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, screaming.

The spider was quick to spring after her on its eight legs, leaping onto one of the nearby trees and scampering over its branches, as fast as a Cheetah on steroids.

It was then that Rebecca suddenly remembered one of the things that her grandfather had once told her… When facing a predator: never run from it, as it attracts their attention! Animals live by the code of the hunt, and they can't hunt something unless it first starts to run from them.

'Oh bugger,' she thought.

0000000000000

Back at the crashed helicopter, Chloe sat with her arm in a sling made from John's shirt. The pilot turned medic had done a pretty good job in setting the arm.

John had attempted to send out another signal from his radio, but whatever it was that had interfered with the transmitter signal earlier, it was still there.

"Where's Rebecca?" Chloe asked weakly.

John frowned. She had been gone a lot longer than was necessary to take care of her business. Of course, from what he suspected of her, she would probably take all day just to find the right bush in which to relieve herself.

Goddamn, he hated babysitting these stinking trust-fund babies! The girl had probably never done a decent day's work in her life, yet considered herself above everyone else just because she had more money. All rich folks were the same.

Still, she had been gone a while and they were out in the middle of nowhere, and he was responsible for her…

"Wait here," he told her, placing the receiver of the radio back in its cradle. "I'll go look for her."

"_Hello_!" a voice called out from somewhere.

John looked around in surprise. "Oh thank God…" he said out loud. "Yeah!" he then yelled. "We're over here!"

A few moments later, a group of men walked out of the thicket.

When John had first heard them, he had just assumed that they must be the rescue team sent in response to his SOS, but now... Now that he had seen them, there was no way that these men were with the air rescue service. If anything, they looked like rejects out of a King Arthur picture.

There were five of them, each wearing long and flowing dark cloaks, two of them had long beards, three had pointy hats and… Was that guy holding a wand?

"Err, hi?" John said hesitantly. "I'm John Doncaster."

The man in the lead was one of the men with a long beard, so long that it almost reached his midsection. He wasn't old per say, though the beard did seem to add years on him. John guessed he was somewhere around his mid or late forties.

The bearded man nodded at John respectfully, and then looked at something behind him.

John realised he must be looking at Chloe. "This is Miss Smith," he introduced them. "We were just in a crash. Our helicopter lost control."

The man nodded. "Yes, we know," he explained. "My men and I were sent for your rescue."

John felt his eyes almost ready to pop. "You're the rescue service?"

"We're _a_ service, yes," another one of the strange men confirmed.

There were a million things John wanted to ask at that moment, but he knew right now was not the time. First things first, they had injured to take care of.

"Yeah, well," he said. "Like I said, I'm John Doncaster, the pilot. I was flying this helicopter when it crashed." He pointed behind him at the wrecked aircraft. "Dunno what happened. One moment we were flying safe as you please, next I was doing an emergency landing. I think the engine must have blown out, but how that happened is beyond me. We did run into a storm, but I don't recall any lightning touching us."

The five men looked at each other curiously, like they knew something he didn't, but whatever it was, they weren't saying.

"Miss Smith here is hurt," John told them hurriedly, though he didn't know what they could do, as he didn't see a first aid kit on any of them. "She's broken her arm."

One of the men with the pointed hats came forward, carefully holding out his hands to check her arm. "Let me see," he gently told her.

Chloe moaned, as she allowed him to undo her sling so that he could examine her.

"Are there any other members of your group?" the man who had first spoken then asked.

"Yes," John replied. "Another girl called Miss Leicester, Rebecca Leicester."

"And where is she?"

"She just went off into the forest to spend a penny," John said, shrugging. "She'll be back soo…"

"She's _where_?" the man suddenly demanded, his eyes wide, as were the rest of his team.

0000000000000

Rebecca screamed, as she heard the monster spider behind her getting closer, the branches and twigs snapping as it sped its way through the forest after her.

She screamed again and again, hoping that her pilot and Chloe would hear her.

'Where's a giant can of bug-spray when you really need it?' she thought, despite her fear.

She heard the creature, as it sprang on its long legs through the forest growth, chasing her.

Rebecca raced through a large bush in her way, panting in agony from all the running, which made her chest heave and hurt.

'John…Chloe,' she thought. 'Where…?'

The branches above her shuddered violently, and the creature dropped down on top of her. It's legs swarmed over her, trying to hold on, and she shrieked at the feeling, as one curled around her shoulder. She twisted and turned, spinning round and round, trying to shake it off. The beast's fangs snapped behind her ear, grazing her neck, as it grappled to stay on her, digging its legs into her sweatshirt.

With her arms bound by her sides within the beast's grasp, Rebecca did the only thing she could think of and dropped to the ground, landing on her back with a hard thump.

The creature screeched in pain, as the weight of her crushed it, forcing it to loosen its grip, allowing her escape. Wasting no time, Rebecca leapt back up and continued to run for her life. She never heard the tear, nor even noticed that most of her sweatshirt had remained entwined in the creature's grasp, as she tore herself away from it.

The spider clicked loudly in hunger and now anger. Its hunting instincts lead it on, as it stormed through the growth, leaping fast and widely for her. It hurt from its prey falling on it, but it was a small pain that only increased its hunger. The prey may have shed her skin to get away, but the Acromantula knew it would get her eventually. It just had to be patient. Acromantulas could, after all, think and learn from their mistakes, same as any other creature.

Rebecca felt herself tiring, as her own legs ached from all of the running she had done. Clearly this creature didn't know the meaning of the word _quit_.

With her legs tiring, the blood pounding in her ears and her breath feeling like it was caught in her throat, there was nothing she wanted more at that moment than to collapse right there and then. Unfortunately that wasn't an option, not with super-arachnid behind her.

With the pounding of her blood and the sound of her own breathing making it hard for her to concentrate, she almost missed one important sound. It wasn't the sound of Chloe or John, which was disheartening, but it was an important sound nonetheless, the sound of rushing water… the river!

Rebecca didn't know much about spiders, but she knew that most of them didn't know how to swim. If she could just get to the river and into the water then maybe it would leave her alone!

In her hope she urged her legs to go faster, heading towards the sound of the running water.

She fortunately didn't have that far to run, but the spider was gaining on her quickly. She didn't dare turn and look behind her to see how far it was, but she swore she felt its breath close to her neck again.

She soon reached the river, but the water was too deep and the current too wild for her to cross, and whichever way she looked she saw only thick trees and bushes blocking her way.

The Acromantula reached the river moments after she did, pausing behind her, watching her with its many eyes.

She knew it was biding its time, getting ready to make its final strike. Panic began to consume her; she twisted her head from side to side hoping to find some small aid anywhere. But all she saw was the log.

It was a long log that was strewed across the river, but didn't seem very thick or strong. She doubted that it would be able to hold her weight very well.

The Acromantula sprang up at her, its fangs reaching for her, as they clicked loudly in excitement. Rebecca only just managed to avoid it, as she leapt over to the side.

'Needs must when the devil drives,' she thought, running over to the log before the creature could take another shot at her.

She raced over the log as fast as she could, trying her best not to look behind at the awful thing that was now coming back after her. The creature was already coming, moving at the speed of lightning, scampering onto the log, that torturing clicking sound forever with it.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, picking up a small branch and throwing it at the monstrosity. She knew it was a futile thing to do, but her fear knew no bounds at that moment.

Unfortunately, the log turned out to be more brittle and rotten than she suspected. The sudden twist of her body when she threw the branch had caused it to finally succumb to its fate… The fallen tree had been pulled down many years ago by a harsh wind during the night of a terrible storm. Since then it had remained lying askew the river, the elements breaking down what was left of its strength. The sudden arrival of the human girl, her weight and the sharp movements made by her and even the giant spider had finally brought its time there to an end.

The brittle wood of the log cracked and snapped apart, as Rebecca sharply turned her body to throw the branch at the creature.

"AAARGH!" Rebecca screamed, as she fell into the raging waters below. The Acromantula unwillingly followed her down into the water's murky depths, its clicking noise finally ending for good.

Rebecca knew how to swim, but she had never swum outside before, let alone in currents as strong as these. She tried valiantly to swim to the other side of the river, but the current's superior strength pulled her with it downstream.

"JOHN!" she yelled for all her life. "CHLOE! HELP!"

Her cries went unanswered, as she continued her rush down the water. Then she heard another terrifying sound

The sound of the raging river was nothing compared to what she was quickly approaching. She couldn't see it with all the water in her face, but she knew what it had to be: a waterfall!

"SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELLLLLLLP!" she screamed one final time before going over.

0000000000000

"You are certain she came this way?" one of the robed men asked, as they made their way through the forest growth.

"Course," John replied, irritated at the constant questioning that was being thrown at him. "Look, what's the problem? I mean it's not like there's any dangerous wild animals out here."

The other men remained quiet. There were three of them now, four including John, as two had remained behind to look after Miss Smith.

John stared at them. "_Are there_?"

The one, who had been the first among them to speak, when they had all first arrived, turned to him. "There have been…a_ few_ sightings of some unfamiliar creatures within this forest, but nothing confirmed as of yet."

"Unfamiliar?" John said blankly. "What, you mean like the Stafford Beast or something?"

The _Stafford Beast_ was what the press called an unconfirmed animal that had been spotted for decades around the areas of Gnosall, Castlefields and Western Downs. It was like Big-Foot and the Yeti, as many claimed to have seen it, but had no actual proof. The creature was believed to be a wild cat, like a Puma or Panther, as the British had once kept such beasts as pets before the Dangerous Wild Animals Act was introduced in 1976, forcing their owners to give them up, by sending them to the zoo or having them put down. Some of them, however, had not wanted to give up their animals though, and instead had ended up releasing them somewhere into the British countryside.

"Something like that, yes," the robed man replied. "But as I said, there has been nothing confirmed as of yet."

'Nothing to Muggle officials anyway,' the wizard thought to himself. He understood the importance of keeping their mystical world hidden, as Muggles weren't exactly known for their acceptance of others different from them. And, as for the animals of their world…even with all the creatures of magic safely hidden and presumed extinct, Muggles had still found other animals to hunt down and destroy, such as the Dodo bird, Atlantic Grey Whale, the Quagga (though Muggle scientists had been trying to recreate that species, thankfully), and countless others.

He dreaded to think what would happen if Muggles were to ever learn the existence of beasts such as Centaurs, Dragons and Unicorns. It was doubtful any of them would survive into the next century, should they be discovered.

"Derwood!" one of the other men, the ones with the pointed hats, called out. "Look."

The man with the very long beard, who had now been identified as Derwood, hurried over to where his companion and colleague had pointed, with John close behind him.

There, lying in the dirt, was a girl's sweatshirt. It looked as though it had been ripped to pieces.

"Dear sweet Mary, mother of God!" John exclaimed. "That's Miss Leicester's!"

Derwood reached down and picked up the item of clothing, turning it over in his hands and smelling it. "It hasn't been here long," he deduced. "Barely a few minutes. She must have come through here."

"But what the devil did that to it?" John demanded. "I mean, look at it! It looks like it's been put through a shredder!"

"Derwood, up above," the second man spoke again, nodding upwards toward the trees.

The others followed his gaze to find…a vast network of the largest collection of spiderwebs that John had ever seen before in his life.

"Sweet Jesus," John could only whisper in awe and fear. "What, is there a whole herd of Tarantulas living out here?"

"Unfortunately yes," Derwood simply said. "But _not_ a Tarantula."

"What are you talking about?" John demanded, fed up with all the half-truths and runabouts that he was getting from this guy. What was he, another politician? "Look, just what is going on here? Where's Miss Leicester?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer anymore questions, Mr Doncaster," Derwood told him, as he reached into his robe and pulled something out. "But never fear, as you won't have anymore questions to ask."

"Wha…?"

"_Obliviate_!" Derwood yelled out, pointing his wand at the confused Muggle. There was a flash, and John Doncaster's mind went blank.

"What are we to do now?" the second wizard asked.

"You take him back to the crash-site," Derwood told him, sighing as he did so. "Wipe out the girl's memories, too, while you're at it. We'll continue looking around here for a while longer, but…I doubt we'll find anything good."

"You mean…?"

Derwood nodded. "Those webs could only have been made by an Acromantula. I knew the Forest had a nest of them living within it, but I didn't know their colony reached this far. If one of them found the girl…it's doubtful she's still alive."

The two other wizards hissed through their teeth.

"How did this even happen?" the third wizard asked. "I thought the Ministry took every precaution to keep Muggles away from Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest?"

"They did," Derwood explained. "The spells the Ministry placed on the school and Hogsmeade all those years ago made it so that whenever a Muggle got too close to them, they would see something that would dissuade them getting any closer, such as a storm. And even if by some chance they did make it past the enchantments, then all they would see would be a bunch of derelict ruins."

"The pilot claimed that they ran into a storm," his companion pointed out. "Could the storm have caused them to crash?"

Derwood shook his head. "The storm was merely an illusion. It could do no more harm to them than the ceiling of Hogwarts could do to us."

"Then what could have caused their flying machine to crash?"

Derwood frowned. "I don't know. Examine it, see if you can find anything out."

The second wizard nodded. "Very well, but you are aware that I don't know anything about Muggle machinery?"

"If you need to, contact Arthur Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. He knows more about any Muggle objects than any of us."

"And what should I do with the pilot and the young girl, concerning their memories?

Derwood frowned, as he considered this. "Wipe their minds and implant some new memories straight away. Make them believe that the other girl never got on that, err…_helicopter_ of theirs with them. Let them think that she decided not to go at the last minute, and that was the last they saw of her."

"Is that wise?"

Derwood shrugged. "It seems to be our best bet for now. If we don't find her then everyone will think that she's out there somewhere, and nowhere near this forest. And if we do find her then we'll simply erase her memories as well and make her believe that she went to somewhere like a holiday resort or something."

His colleague nodded, and then walked off with the entranced pilot in tow.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_**

**_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._**

**_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_**

**_This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'! _**

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**Hogwarts; 0330PM: **

"And you say there was no sign of the girl?" Dumbledore asked the special operative from the Ministry.

Derwood nodded, almost sadly. "We searched all through that area, but found nothing. Nothing besides more of the Acromantula' webbing. We can only conclude that it must have gotten to the young Muggle girl."

"Oh rubbish!" Professor McGonagall scoffed angrily. "You and your so-called leading team of experts barely got through even a mere quarter of the Forbidden Forest."

Derwood gave her a hard look, but remained calm. "I assure you we have searched as far as we could, but need I remind you that there are still many places in the Forbidden Forest that we Wizards cannot reach, not without violating the treaties we have made with some of its more _sentient_ inhabitants."

"And let us not forget the Forest's other creatures," Derwood's assistant, a young wizard with a pointy hat, added. "Even if by some miracle the young Muggle had survived the encounter with the Acromantula, there are still countless other dangerous beasts that she would have undoubtedly met sooner or later, such as the Manticores, Bugbears, Hippogriffs and various others. Even full grown wizards have gone into the Forest and never returned, so it's highly unlikely that a mere Muggle could go in and live to tell the tale."

Dumbledore frowned sorrowfully. He hated to admit it, but the young Wizard had a point. After all, the Forbidden Forest wasn't forbidden without a good reason. Very few great wizards and witches had gone in and returned unscathed.

"Do you know what caused their aircraft to crash?" he then asked.

"One of my team examined the craft," Derwood reported. "We didn't understand too well of Muggle technology so we sent for Arthur Weasley to come take a look at it. But we did notice something odd."

"Oh, like what?"

"The part where the craft's heart is… its…_engine_?" Derwood tried hard to remember the words that Arthur Weasley had told him. "Yes, the engine had exploded from within the craft itself, so it wasn't our magic that caused their crash, or anything to do with us. Apparently, it was sabotage, pure and simple."

"Who by?" McGonagall asked, shocked.

"That I cannot answer," Derwood replied. "But I did learn that the girl who disappeared was apparently the daughter of one of England's politicians and members of Parliament. From what I hear, many of their politicians have numerous enemies who may wish them harm. It is possible some of them decided to take the direct approach and placed what they call a _bomb_ onboard their craft."

"To kill his daughter?"

Derwood shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. It seems her father, Harold Leicester, was supposed to be joining her for her birthday, but was unable to attend. It may be he was meant to be onboard the craft when it exploded instead of her. Of course, now we'll never know for sure."

Dumbledore sighed in pity for the poor girl. "Have the arrangements been made?"

Derwood nodded. "The survivors have all had their memories erased and altered. As far as they are aware, Miss Leicester never got on the helicopter with them, and after they crashed they remained with the craft until they were rescued by the Rescue Service and then taken to hospital. Obviously they have no idea whatever became of Miss Leicester."

"You're just going to let her family think that she's alive out there somewhere?" McGonagall exclaimed. "You're going to let them spend the rest of their days in misery and torture, never knowing whatever became of their own child!"

Dumbledore looked at her sadly. "We have no choice, Minerva. We obviously can't contact them and tell them the truth about what happened to their daughter. And if they knew their child _might_ be alive somewhere in the Forbidden Forest then they'd never rest till they found her. They would have all sorts of people searching through the forest, resulting in complete exposure of our world or at least the mystical creatures, and Merlin knows how many deaths."

McGonagall seethed inwardly with grief for the parents, anger at the unfairness of it all, and of the realisation that Dumbledore was right.

"You're absolutely certain that the girl is dead though?" she asked again.

"We will still look," Derwood promised her. "But I can honestly say there's little or no hope, Professor. Nothing with no magic could possibly survive in that forest."

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**Forbidden Forest; Same Time: **

Rebecca moaned, as she slowly opened her eyes. She felt cold and wet.

She reached up to her head, feeling for any kind of lumps or bruises, but found none. It seemed she had gotten off lucky with the waterfall.

She shivered, as a cold wind blew against her, freezing her already frozen skin. Mid November was definitely not the time of year to go walking about soaking wet in a damp forest!

As her sight slowly came back to her, she found herself lying on a bed of pebbles, dirt and about six inches of water. She looked around, finding herself on the bank of a river. She couldn't see the waterfall anywhere, meaning that she must have been washed downstream quite a distance after going over it.

Cringing, she pulled herself up by her limbs. Although she was not hurt, the cold had frozen her limbs, making them feel stiff and knotted.

"John… Chloe," she called out meekly, but no one answered.

Groaning, as she pulled herself up, she started walking. She had no idea where she was or where she was going, but she knew she had to keep going, if she were to keep herself from freezing to death.

"Definitely should have stayed in California," she mused out loud.

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**London; One Hour Later; Leicester Residence:**

Harold Leicester and his wife Veronica sat together in his study, huddled in each other's arms. They had just received word from the authorities in Scotland about the helicopter crash…the crash that Harold should have been in.

Luckily no one had been hurt, and their daughter Rebecca had not even been on the helicopter when it had happened. Apparently, according to her friend Chloe, she had decided at the last minute to bail out, but the problem now was that no one had any idea where she was.

The police were searching for her, but so far they had come up with no leads.

Harold had to drink a tall glass of extra strong whisky to calm his nerves when he had first heard the news from the officer on the phone. Preliminary reports had confirmed that the helicopter had definitely been tampered with, and there had been a bomb onboard it.

Being a politician, he'd received numerous threats from environmental groups demanding more money to replant lost forests, to terrorists demanding the release of their comrades. Just the other week he had received a number of phone-calls from some group calling themselves 'The Friends of The Earth' who had literally ordered him to forego the building of a new factory…or _else_. He had tried to tell them that he had no real say in the matter (just because he was a politician, everyone assumed that he had his fingers in everything), but they had refused to listen.

There had been a lot of controversy about the new offices. Many were against it, saying that all it was doing was destroying more of the countryside and creating pollution, while just as many others were for it, saying that it would create more jobs for the public. In the end they had decided to go ahead with the project.

He had received letters made from cutout letters from newspapers and magazines, telling him to watch out and beware, as well as the telephone threats, but he had paid them no mind. Being a politician meant he got that kind of treatment almost on a daily basis, and besides: the ones who had spoken to him on the phone sounded no more than teenagers, and they hadn't even disguised their voices.

Even the police seemed to confirm this. They had already examined the bomb, given to them by some Scottish Rescue Service, and found it to be no more than a simple homemade device, easily built by anyone with household objects. This told them that whoever had done this were obviously not professionals, just amateurs.

Harold held onto his dear wife for comfort. He felt like kicking himself that he hadn't ordered the phonecall traced!

The police had found Rebecca nowhere, which meant either she had gone somewhere without telling anybody or…she had been kidnapped.

Harold clutched his wife tighter to him. "Dear Rebecca,' he thought. '_Where are you_?'

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**Forbidden Forest; 0530PM: **

Two hours had passed and she was still no closer to finding out where she was. She saw no lights in the distance between the branches, which meant that wherever she was she was nowhere near civilisation.

Rebecca moaned deeply, as her whole body felt like it was encased in ice. The walking helped, but the moment she stopped moving, her body felt like it was in a freezer.

Then, through the trees and brush came a sound like loud chatter. She could make out the noises of raucous laughter, shouting that was both angry and cheerful, and even what sounded like cups being slammed together in a toast.

The revelation that there were people nearby to help her gave her hope, as she urged herself on, ignoring the frozen pain in her legs.

She walked on for a further few minutes until she finally saw some distant lights coming from up ahead. Exhilarated at finally finding some life in this dense forest, Rebecca raced towards the bushes where the lights were shining through, and pulled back some of the branches to peer between them, and stopped…

At first, she thought they were men, as she saw them drinking from large buckets with their arms, smacking their lips together as they drank raucously. But as she stared at them longer, she then saw that what she first thought were men were seemingly horses, seeing as they were standing on four hoofed legs.

As she continued to stare, she realised that they seemed to be a combination of both! Each had the body of a man from the head down to the waist, but the rest of the body was that of a horse. Their bodies were all covered with hair, even their human parts, and they had long shaggy faces with horse-like ears. Their faces weren't as long as horses, but they were still longer than any ordinary human she had ever seen.

She couldn't fathom what she was seeing, even though she knew what they were. She had seen pictures of them in books, and even statues of them in museums, but she still could not believe it.

'_Centaurs_?' she thought unbelievably. 'Well, that settles it…Being in this damn forest has driven me completely mad!'

Regardless of what was right before her eyes, Rebecca's mind refused to accept the evidence of her senses.

There were about fifty of them, all gathered within a large meadow clearing, as they ate, drank and seemed to generally go about their business. They were all different from each other. Some were as large as Shires or Clydesdales horses, while others were more like the thoroughbred racehorses she had seen at the Royal Ascot, with shining coats. The human parts of them were just as well portioned, as they were blessed with masculine chests, broad shoulders and arms that any bodybuilder would kill for.

There was also no shortage of colours among them, at least not when concerning their horse-halves. There were dark ones, from pure black to silvery grey, chestnut brown, dark blonde and many others. Most of them were plain coloured, but there were the odd spotted few like she had seen on farms.

Despite all this, she found she couldn't stop staring at their faces most of all, as they were the most unusual sight she had ever seen. They looked like a complete cross between equine and human, neither one nor the other, but somewhere in-between.

They all laughed out loud, yelling and shouting at one another, not in harsh tones, but seemingly cheerful. One of them had a large bucket in his arms, as he drank from it like a horse would do, but by pouring the liquid into his mouth, and down his chest, instead of just drinking from the bucket itself. While another one had a large drumstick that he held in his hand, despite the grease on it, noisily chewing on it, spitting out chunks of it as he talked with some of the others, and none seemed to mind.

Clearly these _people_ had never heard of table manners or common courtesy.

'This can't be,' her mind felt like it was tilting. 'Centaurs don't exist! They're just figments made up by ancient Greek scholars and play-writers. They're not real!'

So mind-boggled was she by the sight of the Centaur herd that she never noticed the sound of approaching hoof-steps behind her.

"This just can't…" she started to say lowly.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" a loud voice suddenly bellowed behind her.

She shrieked, spinning around in shock at the sound of the loud voice yelling at her.

It was a large Centaur, completely black throughout its entire body, with a shaggy beard, well developed muscles, a broad chest, and a very fierce and unfriendly expression upon its face.

She shrieked again, stepping back in fear at the sight of the large beast-man in front of her. Unfortunately, when she had been looking over the bush onto the meadow, she hadn't noticed that the bush had been standing on a small bank.

Rebecca yelped, as she stepped over the edge of the tiny hill, falling head over heals into the meadow, right in front of _everyone_.

When she came to a stop on the ground, Rebecca coughed out a mouthful of dirt that she had collected in the fall, and then paused… Why was it so quiet?

Wiping her mouth free of the remaining dirt, she slowly turned her head and looked around herself, and found dozens of eyes centred on her.

Her fall and scream had halted all the festivities, as all of the Centaurs stared at her incredulously. Some of them looked astonished to see her, others looked curious, and some looked just as mad as the dark one that had startled her.

_He_ was even now cantering down through the bush and into the meadow with her, his huge hooves making a noise like thunder as they neared her.

Rebecca gulped.

The dark Centaur strode forward, leaning over and grabbing her none too gently by her shoulders, holding her up high in front of him, shaking her. "Who are you?" he demanded. "How did you get here?"

Maybe her fear had temporarily taken hold, her desperation consumed her, or maybe it was anger because of the humiliation from the way she was being manhandled, but for whatever reason, unthinking or perhaps unmindful…she slapped him!

The large black Centaur stopped talking and just stared at her. His expression at that moment could be considered humorous, as he stared at her in nothing less than pure astonishment. The rest of his kind copied his expression, as they too stared at her in disbelief. It was a well-known fact that Centaurs were considered dangerous even in the best of times, so no one had ever been brave enough to strike one before…_or stupid enough. _

The huge Centaur's comical expression did not last, and it soon appeared as though his whole face was beginning to burn from the suppressed rage within him, as he glared viciously at the young human female.

"YOU DISRESPECTFUL RUNT!" he bellowed, rising her higher with his strong arms, and threw her clear across the meadow.

Rebecca felt herself fly through the air, as the angry Centaur threw her like a discus. She hit the ground with a hard thud, but because the ground was covered with soft grass and was damp, she barely felt anything.

However, she suspected that the angry Centaur had plans to change that, as she watched him gallop over towards her.

The other Centaurs were of no help, as they cheered this mad brother of theirs on, rearing on their hind legs, waving their front hooves about madly as though in ecstasy.

She cringed and whimpered in fear, as the massive man-beast headed towards her, his huge hooves looking as though ready for trampling something, _namely_ _her_.

Then just when she thought the end had finally come for her…

"BANE, _STOP_!" a loud determined voice yelled out.

She watched, as another Centaur ran out in front of her, blocking the charging Centaur's path to her. She couldn't yet see his face, but he seemed physically the same as the others, with broad shoulders and strong arms. His horse-half was a dark brown colour, as was the hair on his head that was shaggy and wild.

His voice was unbelievably soft and gentle, so much so that for a moment she couldn't believe he was actually part of this group. From what she had seen they all seemed like your typical backwater group of savages.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way, _Firenze_!" the dark Centaur, whose name apparently was Bane, said warningly to the seemingly calmer Centaur, but he wouldn't.

"Not until you calm down," Firenze told him. "If you kill this girl now, how are we supposed to get the answers to your questions?"

"She hit me like I was a common horse!" Bane shouted back at him, still glaring at the small human venomously.

Deep down, Rebecca couldn't help but think how childish this Bane was acting. So she slapped him, big deal. But she had better sense than to say it out loud.

What she didn't know was that Centaurs were a proud race, and were easily offended if not shown the proper respect and courtesy. One of those acts of respect was not to mistake them for common horses, and definitely not to treat them as such. If she had given him a full-blown punch, then that would probably have been better. They might have even seen it as an act of courage. But a mere slap, that was like telling him he was weak, helpless and unworthy.

"I'm sure she's very sorry for that," the new Centaur, whom she had heard Bane call Firenze, replied to him. "I imagine she was just scared when you grabbed her like that. Remember that humans are not as strong as we are, hence they're more timid and easily frightened."

Bane grumbled, indicating that he was clearly not convinced, as he pawed the ground with his right hoof angrily.

"That's enough, Bane!" another voice suddenly called out.

The two Centaurs, along with the rest of the herd, all turned to look at the one who had spoke, and Rebecca finally got to see her saviour's face…

Firenze had a long face, the same as the rest, and had a beard but no moustache (in fact, none of the Centaurs had moustaches), and looked as if it and the hair on his head were one. It was like his head-hair had grown down all around his face in a perfect circle. The beard wasn't long, but was terribly shaggy.

If not for the horse-ears, his completely hair-covered body and the shaggy appearance that he and his kind seemed to favour, she would actually consider him to be quite handsome.

But the one thing that truly got her attention, besides his soft voice, was that he also had a pair of thee most strikingly blue eyes that she had ever seen before. Those eyes stared at her for a few moments before looking at whoever it was behind her.

Guessing that she shouldn't be impolite, especially when she could not afford to be, considering what they might do to her, she turned to see who had spoken…and found herself gulping again.

Another Centaur stood before her, bigger than Bane, his body seemingly painted in chestnut, with long black hair.

He stood high over her, his eyes staring at her disdainfully. It was clear he had about as much love for her as the rest of his herd did: none.

"I am Magorian, leader of the Centaurs," he proclaimed to her. "Answer my brother's question, human! Who are you, and what are you doing here? More importantly, how were you able to reach our herding ground without us sensing your approach?"

Rebecca swallowed the lump in her throat. "M-m-m-my name is Rebecca…Rebecca Leicester." She briefly wondered if she should mention whose daughter she was, but somehow she didn't think her father's name would do her much good with these creatures.

"How did you come to be here?" Bane demanded from her again, impatiently.

Firenze gave him a look that seemed to say 'keep calm, give her time', but Bane was impatient enough as it was.

"Answer me!" he roared.

Rebecca shivered at the large Centaur's loud voice, and stuttered her reply… "I-I-I-I was on a h-h-h-heli-copter… "

"A heli-what?" Magorian said, frowning.

"A…helicopter," she repeated, more in control.

That didn't lessen the look of confusion on his face, nor from any of the others, as they all looked at each other with questioning faces. Even Firenze, who was known to spend a great deal of time with humans, seemed clueless.

"It's a…" she paused, wondering on how to explain this. "It's a machine that flies. It brought me here to this forest, but crashed. I ventured into the forest for…_something_, and a giant spider chased me. It chased me into the river, which swept me downstream. The next thing I knew, I was waking up by a riverside with no idea where I was. I walked for a little bit and eventually found my way here."

Firenze frowned. "There was talk in the forest of a loud noise that none had ever heard before. Perhaps it could have been this heli-chopper that she speaks about."

Rebecca tried to hide a small grin at his mispronouncing of the word _copter_, but she was not quick enough, and was soon noticed by Bane.

"She's laughing at us!" he shouted angrily, coming up close to her, his hands reaching for her.

"Peace, Bane!" Magorian ordered. "I have heard of human machines that can do such things that this human claims. She may be telling the truth. Either way, we will wait until we have conferred with Safyph before making our final judgment."

'_Judgment_?' Rebecca whimpered silently.

"Take her to one of the rain-huts!" Magorian ordered a couple of young Centaurs. "Watch over her there until I say otherwise."

Two younger Centaurs nodded and trotted forward, each grabbing one of Rebecca's arms and carrying her between them.

Rebecca felt humiliated, as she was carried away, her feet dangling beneath her like she was on a high shelf. While she was being led away, she noticed the one called Firenze looking at her with those big blue eyes of his, as she departed. He didn't have any of the same scorn and contempt that Bane did, only simple curiosity.

The two Centaurs, one that was a dark grey colour and the other a pure white one who were both armed with a large bow and several arrows, soon led her into a small makeshift hut that looked as if it were made out of skins, like old Indian huts were.

Centaurs generally preferred sleeping outside, but even they did not like to stay out in the rain. So they had made some huts ideal for sleeping in whenever the heavens poured down on them.

They dropped her unceremoniously into the hut, as she landed with a small thump. She turned to glare at their retreating forms, only to find them still standing at the hut's entrance, staring at her intensely.

Rebecca wanted to yell and scream at the way she had been treated up till now, the only reason why she hadn't yet was because she had just been too shocked at everything that had happened, but the shock was now slowly but surely passing, but not quite yet.

The two Centaurs stood where they were, their heads cocked as they looked curiously at her, making her nervous.

Just then, they moved a little closer into the hut, making her scamper a little back to the wall. They seemed to find this funny, seeing as there was no way out of the hut for her.

They walked all the way in, backing her up against the wall of the hut, their hands reached out for her.

Rebecca breathed hoarsely in fear, as they began touching her. At first it wasn't so bad, as they just touched her hair, face, arms and legs.

Then they began poking at her chest.

Rebecca gulped, as their hands reached for her. Okay, this was the last straw!

She slapped the hand of the dark grey Centaur whose hand had been less than a few inches from her.

The younger Centaur roared in outrage like Bane, and together with his companion grabbed her fiercely.

"Roland! Damon! That's enough!" the unmistakable voice of Firenze called out.

The two Centaurs backed away, releasing the lone human from their grip, but kept their vented glares on her at all time.

"Remember, humans are more sensitive about appearances than we are," Firenze explained diplomatically. "Like us, they can be easily offended if we treat them wrong. What we consider natural may not be so for them. If we wish for them to respect us, our laws and traditions, then we must first do so for them. Understand?"

The two called Roland and Damon, though which was which was unsure, nodded bleakly, but they still kept their hateful glances on her.

"Go back to your festivities, brothers," Firenze told them. "I will stay and watch over the human."

They seemed to need no further encouraging, as they eagerly raced out of the hut, heading straight towards the large campfire where more meat was being roasted.

Firenze looked apologetically at her. "Please forgive my brother Centaurs," he told her. "I'm afraid they were just rather curious about you, that's all."

"What's with them?" she asked hotly. "The way they acted, you'd think they'd never seen a girl before."

Firenze nodded. "Not all of my kind strays too far from our territory in the forest. Roland and Damon are among some of the youngest warriors in our herd. They've rarely left the herding ground except in hunts."

"What's that got to do with anything?" she said curtly.

He looked at her with a blank expression, as though what he said should be the most common and simplest thing to know.

"Well, obviously since they've never strayed far from the herding ground, then they've never gotten too close to Hogwarts. Hence they've never seen one of your kind before."

"My kind?" she said. "Oh, you mean because I'm human?"

"That," Firenze admitted. "And the fact that you are a female makes them a little more curious as well."

"Why?" she looked at him curiously. "You people have something against women or something? I bet your own women just love that."

Firenze gave her a funny look. "There are no Centaur women."

Rebecca blinked. "No…women? How the heck is that possible? How do you guys have children if you have no women?"

Firenze looked confused, as he scratched his head, wondering what kind of a teacher this girl could have had growing up? Whoever it was, he or she had obviously not taught this girl very well. Even the small human foals at the school knew about his kind and their habits.

"It has always been the way with my race," he explained. "We are as you see before you, possessing the parts of a human man from the head to the torso, and the rest of us is that of a equine. In that perspective we are all the same."

"But how do you have children?"

Firenze shrugged. "Although the human parts of us are all male, some of us possess the body of what you humans I believe call…a _Mare_."

Rebecca did a double take. "A Mare…? You mean a female horse?"

Firenze nodded. "Yes, though those Centaurs are rare and few."

"So some of you have… What I mean is… " she stuttered. "Some of you are both male and female?"

He nodded again. "Yes, but like I said, those Centaurs are rare and few. Hence the reason why my herd is so small."

She felt her mind turning in unbelievable astonishment and disbelief. She was in the company of a race of people filled with nothing but _males_?

She was beginning to feel nervous again.

"Sooo...your two friends back there," she said, pointing to where the previous Centaurs were now munching on what looked like a couple of turkey-legs. "They've never seen a human before?"

"And therefore never a female," he added. "Needless to say, your human female body is somewhat different from ours. In all fairness, my brothers' curiosity was understandable, though I assure you I will make certain that they better understand not to bother your person again."

He looked at her curiously again. "Forgive me if this next question sounds indelicate," he asked. "But how come you don't seem to know anything about my kind? I mean, I know we keep to ourselves, but we're hardly a secret race. I thought everyone knew about us. Were you absent from your Magical Creatures Class or something at Hogwarts?"

Rebecca screwed her face up in confusion. "_Hogworts_?" she frowned. "You mean the laxative plant?"

Firenze laughed. "No, I mean the school of course."

She looked blankly at him. "What school?"

The Centaur suddenly gave her a long stare. "You…_don't_ know about Hogwarts?"

Rebecca stared back at him, wondering what was wrong with him? He suddenly seemed edgy for some reason.

"Never heard of it until you just mentioned it to me," she told him. "Is it close by?"

Firenze still looked curious, but now seemed to appear mistrusting as well. Like he was having a hard time trying to buy her story.

"Tell me," he then added. "Do the names Harry Potter or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named sound familiar to you?"

She frowned, and shook her head.

He seemed very nervous now. "Please, can I trust you to remain here?" he asked her. "I don't need to tell you that my hide will be in danger if I leave you here unattended, but the situation will be even worse for you should you attempt to escape and they catch you. And believe me, they _will_ catch you."

She looked into his deep blue eyes for a few moments, and then nodded.

Not waiting another moment longer, Firenze hurried out of the hut, accidentally whipping her in her face with his tail as he did, and galloped over to where Magorian had gone.

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"A Muggle?" Magorian said, looking unconvinced. He knew what the Wizard's name were for ordinary non-magical members of their kind, though obviously he had never seen one before since it was supposed to be impossible for them to reach Hogwarts and the forest, let alone come this far.

Firenze nodded. "She knew nothing of Hogwarts, which is known by all in the Wizarding World. She didn't even recognise the name or title of Harry Potter and the Dark Lord, and those names are known even to us and those here in the forest."

Bane, who had followed Magorian when he went to talk with Safyph in order to try and convince him to let them simply kill the human or at least drive her out, simply snorted. "The little runt's obviously lying then. Firenze, you are truly gullible!"

Firenze gave him a short look at his minor insult, but chose to let it pass. "I do not believe so," he told them. "The ignorance in her eyes appeared genuine, too genuine to fake. And another thing, when have you ever known any witch or wizard to come into the forest without their _wand_ before?"

Magorian chewed on his lower lip, deep in thought. "That would explain why the female flew on that _helicopter_ of hers instead of using that flying stick like all the other humans of that school use," he admitted. "And we know there was some disturbance within the forest earlier today."

Bane looked at him in outrage. "You can't really believe all this?"

"Peace, Bane!" Magorian warned him. "I will not tell you again." He then looked behind them. "Safyph, honoured elder, what is your advice?"

From behind them in the shadows, an old figure slowly hobbled out to them.

It was Safyph, the oldest Centaur of their herd. Like many of them he had a beard, but one that was snowy white and which grew all the way down to his knees. His colouring was a dirty silvery-grey colour, save for the white beard. All parts of him, his human and his horse-half, were stretched and bony, withered by time. He walked with a limp that he had received long ago during a dispute with another Centaur herd from faraway. But although his body was weak, his eyes held a powerful and intelligent gaze.

He had once been their herd's leader before the dispute with their brother herd had robbed him of his good health and strength, allowing someone younger and stronger to challenge him for leadership, as was the custom in their people. He was now the herd's honoured elder, respected for his age and sought after for the wisdom that came with it.

"What you say makes sense," he told them in his voice that despite its age still spoke with a quiet, calm but firm tone. "The human was in dire distress when she came to us, she has no reason to lie nor any reason to be here. It is clear she must be here solely by accident."

Bane snorted again, but said nothing further to contradict this. Despite his abrupt attitude, he too respected the wisdom of their elder, and as a Centaur warrior he also respected and obeyed the wishes of their leader.

"So what would you suggest we do next then?" Magorian asked the Centaur elder.

"Yes, it is getting late," Firenze added. "If we want to return her before…"

"Return her?" Bane's voice thundered. Even the other two of them were directing some odd looks at Firenze.

"But…" Firenze said, looking confused. "You said so yourself that the girl was not here to threaten us. What reason is there for her to stay?"

"I can think of a good few," Bane remarked, his face a grim picture. It was clear his ideas of what to do with her all involved him, his hooves and the girl's head.

Magorian on the other hand was willing to listen to more options. "What would you say, Safyph?"

"Having her stay here for a short while might prove beneficial for us," Safyph said thoughtfully. "The young foals have never even seen a human before. It would do them good to interact with one."

Magorian nodded. "They are rather ignorant of human culture," he admitted.

Bane just snorted through his nose. "What good could possibly come from knowing more about humans? We know enough to steer clear of them whenever we can."

"No, that is _your_ way of dealing with them," Firenze remarked, earning a hot glare from the black Centaur. He and Bane had never got on well, having different points of view concerning humanity. Firenze had always been more optimistic, willing to give them a chance, whereas Bane would not even think of it.

Magorian's face seemed lost in deep thought. "There is another reason for her to remain here with us," he said finally.

The others looked at him.

"Our herd is at present in most dire needs," he explained. "There are so few of us now because of how few Breeders are born to us. Only a mere three out of the seven recent births were of them."

Firenze found himself holding his breath, as he didn't like where this conversation was starting to head.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked.

Magorian held his head up high. "She could remain with us permanently, as one of our new Breeders."

Safyph cocked his eyebrow, Bane's expression seemed to be a cross between anger and consideration, while Firenze's just looked plain shocked.

"You can't be serious, leader?"

Magorian neither lowered his head nor lost the adamant look on his face. "You should know I am always serious, Firenze."

Safyph said nothing, his eyes half-closed with thought, choosing to remain silent until asked for his opinion. Bane still had his never-ending look of hostility, but it was clear he was considering Magorian's words. He would still prefer to kill the human, but Magorian's words ran true. There were not enough Breeders to procreate with.

"Magorian," Firenze started, for once calling his herd's leader by his name instead of his title. "What you say about our Breeders is true, but…we can't keep this human with us. It's…_wrong_!"

Magorian gave him a half-glance. "Our herd is slowly dwindling, that is what's wrong! This human can only be a blessing sent by the Fates to ease our suffering."

"Safyph?" Firenze looked to his herd-elder in desperation. "Surely you can see the error in his plan?"

The elder said nothing at first, his eyes as clear as water, as he stared straight at them all. Finally, he spoke, "If we were to keep her, we could do so by the Rite of Claim."

Firenze felt his own eyes bulging out in surprise. "Safyph, surely not! That law was ancient even before we Centaurs first came to the forest."

The Rite of Claim was an ancient law amongst the Centaurs from the earliest chapters of their history. It was when a Centaur lay claim to something, often a human woman, which he believed was his by right by either finding her alone or defeating her mate in battle. After claiming her, he would then take her back to his home, to mate with and produce foals.

The rite had been used quite commonly in ancient times, by Centaurs and humans alike, and because of it and the Centaur's use of humans for Breeders, their race had been _considerably_ lot larger back then.

It was only until after their kind had arrived in Britain, over a thousand years ago, that they had been forced to forget that particular custom in their race. The sorcerers at the time had told them, straight out, that if they ever attempted to abduct a woman against her will, outside of their territory, then all of the magical community would fall upon them.

The Centaurs were a proud race, full of warriors that were not afraid to die, but their numbers were now down to a mere fifty or less. If they had gone to war, the stars themselves had told them that their race would go extinct, lost forever to the sands of time, remembered only as myth.

Thus they had yielded to the sorcerer' will, swearing to never take another human and force them to their home. And thus they had remained, never venturing far from the forest that had been their home now for over a thousand years, never interacting with any outsiders unless absolutely necessary, and never taking anyone against their will.

But despite all that, they had never actually abandoned their own laws. Their ancestors had sworn they would never leave their home to _take_ another human, an oath that they had kept for years. However, this human had come willingly into their territory, which meant that by law they were not under any obligation to return her.

"And besides, the Wizards have invoked laws that forbid us from claiming any of their females," Firenze continued.

"The humans laws never overshadow our own," Magorian interrupted him. "And this girl is neither Witch nor Wizard. She is not of their world, she is a Muggle and hence she is not bound by their law."

"She did come into our territory without our permission," Safyph added. "So we would be entitled to compensation. And because she came by her own choice and freewill, we did not abduct her, and thus we would merely be _keeping_ her as our guest. For however long will be entirely up to you, my leader."

Magorian once more looked thoughtful. Even Bane's expression, which up till now had only wanted one thing, to be rid of the human, was full of consideration.

Firenze looked aghast at them. "We can't keep her," he insisted repeatedly. "If the Humans were to ever discover that we were keeping one of their own against her will…"

"But as Magorian just explained," Bane then spoke. "This girl is not of the Wizard' world, hence she does not fall under their laws. They probably don't even know of her disappearance."

"I thought you were all for getting rid of her anyway?" Firenze said accusingly.

"I still am," Bane replied hotly. "But that doesn't mean I won't do what's best for the herd. And Magorian is right about this Human female being a blessing. With the few Breeders we have, this female might be just what the Healer ordered."

"Safyph, I implore you," Firenze said, close to pleading with the Centaur elder. "Don't do this. We can't risk war with the Humans."

The old Centaur sighed. "I am merely an advisor, Firenze, as you well know," he told him. "My time as leader has long since passed. I merely give my advice to all who will listen, and opinion of the best recommendations, nothing else. The Rite would be the ideal way of laying claim to this Human if our leader so wishes."

"But…"

"Bane and Magorian are also correct," Safyph continued. "As this girl is not of the world of magic, she does not concern them."

Bane smirked.

"However," Safyph added. "We do not know that for absolute certain. For all we know, they might be combing the entire forest for her right now. And should they learn that we have her, and they desire her return, then as Firenze said our actions could lead to war between us and the Humans."

Safyph turned to look at Magorian. "Our herd is strong and fierce, but even with our combined warriors we cannot hope to take on the armed forces of the Wizard' council. Their magic gives them the distinct advantage, and even with the help of the stars we would stand little chance of victory. And we have nowhere else to go, as the world is a much smaller place than it was before our ancestors settled here."

Magorian nodded. "You speak the truth, Safyph." He then turned to Firenze. "You are close acquaintances with the Giant hybrid called Hagrid, are you not, Firenze?"

The younger Centaur nodded. "Yes, but…" His eyes widened, as he realised what Magorian was planning to ask of him. "Wait! You are not seriously suggesting that I…"

"You can go to the one called Hagrid," Magorian told him. "You will inform him that we had heard of some commotion, and heard some rumours of there being a Human within the forest. You will ask him if any of this was true and if they had heard of any news of the Human."

"But…"

"You will reveal nothing of the Human being with us," Magorian then said firmly. "If he doesn't ask why you wish to know, then you will not tell him. If he does, you will merely say that our herd were just concerned for our safety."

"You want me to lie?" Firenze said aghast, for it was against a Centaur's very nature to lie.

"No," his leader replied. "Merely colour the truth slightly. We _are_ concerned for our herd's safety. That is a truth. We just won't reveal anything else."

"I won't…" Firenze began.

"Before you go say anything that you might later regret, _Brother_," Magorian then said in a dangerous tone. "Need I remind you that your loyalty is to our herd's safety, well being and _future_? I was not lying when I said this Human could help us greatly. That is the only reason why I am pursuing this, nothing else."

"If you ask me, Firenze's loyalty has been in question for years," Bane added.

Firenze twisted his head to glare at him. "How dare you!" he nearly shouted. "Never once have I done anything for any of you to question my loyalty! My first and only concern in life, and my devotion, has always been to that of our herd and never anything else!"

"Then explain the night when you had that Human foal riding on your back!" Bane shouted back.

Firenze just stared at him. "Are you still on about that?" he said, almost shocked. "I told you! The boy, Harry Potter, was being attacked by the one they call the Dark Lord. I was there purely by coincidence when the evil one attacked him. I could not stand by and do nothing whilst this was happening, so I helped. Afterwards, I simply carried him back to his school. That's all!"

"You still let him ride on you, Firenze," Magorian stated in a matter of fact. "You know full well how demeaning that is to our kind, to have a Human ride on your back like a common horse."

In truth, Magorian had been just as mad as Bane had been the night when they had spotted Firenze with the boy in question. When they saw him being ridden like that, their first reaction was to have Firenze banished from their herd. Fortunately, Magorian had calmed down somewhat by the time Firenze had returned home, but he and many of their herd, especially Bane, had not forgotten about it.

"You need to get your priorities in order, Firenze," Bane told the younger Centaur. "Who holds the key to your loyalty, we or the Humans?"

Firenze lowered his head in submission. "I swear to you by the power of the Fates, under the light of Hecate's moon, that our herd have and have always had the loyalty of my spirit and the strength of my heart," he swore in the traditional Centaur oath. "I just…"

"As Bane just said," Magorian said firmly and clearly to him. "You need to better understand your priorities, Brother. You are either with us or against us."

"Leader, my sons," Safyph suddenly interjected. "If I may… Perhaps this topic is too big a decision to be made by one or even the four of us? Perhaps it would be wise to involve the entire herd?"

The three of them looked at the elder.

"A Tribunal?" Magorian said. It had been a long time since they had held one, when the herd would gather together to confer about an important matter, to make a decision, one that would affect not just one but the entire herd.

Bane frowned, but seemed to agree with the elder. "Whatever we decide would affect not just us, but the whole herd," he remarked. "They do have a right to know all that is happening and should be allowed to cast their own vote on what should be done."

Even Firenze had to agree with that, and nodded to confirm this. "I concur," he said.

Magorian nodded. "Very well. Inform the others, and tell them to gather in the circle within the hour. Firenze, you go find your Giant friend Hagrid. Find out all he knows."

Firenze bowed his head and hurried off, praying to the Gods of ancient times that what they found out would entice the herd to release the girl.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JFK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'! _

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**Forbidden Forest; 0635PM: **

The herding ground had within it a large circle made up of six trees that had been planted there by their ancestors centuries ago. The Centaurs had always had a sacred place, wherever they had lived, where they would join together to perform certain ceremonies, hold trials, or generally discuss important matters. When the herd had first come to the Forbidden Forest to live, they had built this sacred place, known simply as The Circle, as a means to do so.

Their ancestors had chosen the following specific trees because of their symbolism within the land, which went with the ceremonies they held there. The trees were of the species Ash (wisdom), Ivy (change), Blackthorn (discipline), Hawthorn (love and commitment), Silver Birch (fertility), and the sacred Oak (strength and knowledge).

Since its conception, the Circle had been the site for all basic rituals, such as mating ceremonies. Today, however, was different.

The Centaurs had held trials before for those they had suspected of betraying their herd, but not once in over three hundred years had they held one where they would all confer together about something that would affect all of them.

"Where is the human now?" Magorian asked Firenze who had just gone to check on the young girl.

"Sleeping," he told his leader. "She was very worn out from her ordeal. I gave her some wine to calm her." He had recently returned from speaking with Hagrid who, as Firenze had been sworn not to reveal anything, was still in the dark about the Human girl.

Magorian nodded. "Good," he said. "It is best she remain ignorant until we have ascertained what we are to do. But tell us, what news of your mission? What did the one called Hagrid tell you?"

Firenze chewed on his lower lip before answering. "He revealed that a Human-Muggle-aircraft had crashed here in the forest. There were three passengers onboard, but only two are accounted for. The third was our young…_guest_, whose name is Rebecca Leicester. Apparently the Wizards searched for her, but could find no trace. They assume her to be dead and have called off their search."

Magorian nodded. "Aye," he said. "Is this is true then it serves to benefit us, depending on our choice."

Firenze gave no reply.

"My friends," Magorian announced to his herd. "My brother Centaurs and fellow warriors… _We_ have a decision to make!"

The rest of the herd all stared at him curiously. They knew this gathering had to be about the Human, as what else could it be? But what was there to discuss? Either they release the Human or kill her.

"As you all know," Magorian continued in a strong and clear voice. "Today a Human ventured into our domain. When she first entered our grounds, she assaulted our brother Bane. I believe though she did so because she was simply afraid, having never seen one of our kind before."

The herd looked confused, as they wondered what he meant by that. They knew that Humans rarely came into the Forest, especially foals, but surely they knew what to expect of them.

As if sensing their confusion, Magorian answered for them. "The girl is Human, true, but she is not of the Wizard's world. She does not come from Hogwarts, Hogsmeade or any of their sorcerer homes."

At his last words, the whole herd stared at him in amazement.

"_You mean she's a Muggle?" _

"_How can this be?" _

"_Has the Muggle world finally learned of us?" _

"_Are we in danger?"_

"SILENCE!" Magorian ordered, his voice demanding obedience. At the sound of his booming voice the herd all fell silent, their heads dipped low in submission.

"In answer to your questions," he replied. "Yes, she is what the Wizards call a Muggle. How she came to be here we do not know for certain, but we do not believe her world has learned of our existence since this female knew nothing of us, so no we are not in any danger."

"But it does raise some interesting questions," Bane then added. "Since the girl has no ties to the Wizards or their laws then generally speaking we are not bound to return her to them."

The herd all looked at him. "So what does that mean?" a young Centaur of a reddish/chestnut colour asked. His name was Ronan, one of the more doleful members of the Centaur herd.

"It means _what_ should we do now?" Bane explained. "Let her go, kill her for trespassing on our land or…_keep her_!"

All of the Centaurs were silent for less then a few seconds before there was an instant uproar…

"_Kill her!" _

"_No, let her go!"_

"_Feed her to the Manticores!"_

"Brothers, be still!" Magorian ordered. "Before we make any rash decisions, we must first listen to all the options dealt to us by the Fates. Safyph, honoured elder, please tell to them what you told us."

The ancient Centaur hobbled forward, gazing at all the members of his herd with his keen stare. The Herd all silenced, in respect, immediately awaiting his advice.

Safyph repeated all that he had already said to Magorian and the others, explaining the girl's status as being a Muggle, the Rite of Claim and her possible use as a breeder to produce more foals for the herd.

The herd all listened intently, their ears perked up keenly until the elder eventually finished.

Magorian nodded his thanks to Safyph before addressing his herd once more. "You've all heard him," he said. "You understand all that we have said concerning the Human, what the advantages and disadvantages of each option now open to us over what to do to her. Now, what say you? What should our decision be?"

There was a long moment of silence, as the herd considered their options. Most of them had been keen toward the idea of expelling her from their home, but Safyph's words had given them pause. They knew their population was low because they had too few Breeders, however no Centaur had mated with a Human female in over a thousand years.

Needless to say, they were a little out of practise. For all they knew, they could unintentionally seriously damage the female if they attempted to reproduce with her.

Still, this was, as Magorian thought, a golden opportunity for their kind. When the Gods send you a blessing, you do not question it nor do you waste it.

"_We should keep her!" _

"_Yes, we'll have more foals because of her!" _

"_No! Release her!" _

"_Kill her!"_

"_I'll give her a ride she won't forget!"_

The last remark came from a particularly large Centaur who gave an ugly smirk as he spoke.

"ENOUGH!" Magorian's angry voice roared. "We're going around in circles. A decision must be made."

"What of the Humans when they learn we have captured one of their kind?" one Centaur asked. "She may not be of the Wizard's world, but she is still of their species. They may not take too kindly to learning of her capture."

"I'm not too concerned with the Wizards," Magorian replied. "We have not broken any of their laws, as the human came to us, not the other way around. She came to us willingly, therefore she is ours to do with as we please."

"This is not right," Firenze spoke up finally. "What you're suggesting may provoke war with the Humans."

"Are we even sure this Human is worth fighting over?" another Centaur said. "She may not even be able to produce foals. We could very well be fighting over a barren woman for all we know."

That last comment hushed the herd up. They hadn't considered that possibility, that she might not be compatible with them.

"There is one way to tell if she is or not," Ronan suggested. "Look to the stars for help, and then use the Divination Ceremony." Ronan was distrustful of humans, the same as the rest of his herd, but he had a soft spot when it came to children. He would gladly forego any bad feelings he had with humanity if it meant rearing even a single new foal for their tribe.

The Divination Ceremony he spoke of was a ritual where the Centaurs would burn certain herbs, which would help refine their stargazing findings. Although the stars could reveal the future to the Centaurs, it took time to read them and determine their meanings, and even then their findings were always open to misinterpretation.

The Centaurs had practiced the spell a long time ago, along with several other forms of divination, but had ceased using it, preferring to just read the stars alone. They had decided that if the Fates had something important to tell them, they would reveal it to them without the aid of any magics.

Safyph frowned slightly. "The ceremony you suggest is an old one. One that hasn't been practised in centuries."

"But you recall the ritual, do you not?" Bane asked.

Safyph nodded. "The…_details_ of the spell are known to me, that is correct," he admitted. "But I cannot guarantee its effectiveness since it has been many generations since it was last used."

"Do it," Magorian decided. "We must know whether or not this female can provide us with healthy stock. I have complete confidence in your abilities, elder."

Safyph sighed. "Very well."

0000000000

Rebecca gave a little moan, as she stirred awake. The wine that the Centaurs had given her had sure sent her off straight to dreamland, but it had also left her with a terrible headache afterwards.

"Should've listened to my parents," she muttered, recalling how her parents had often warned her about the drink.

She looked around for a moment, seeing no one about, and for just a second she was able to believe that she had simply dreamt everything about the helicopter-crash, the giant spider and the Centaurs… That is, until she saw them again.

A small group of them were heading her way, and the way they were looking at her made her feel uneasy. She briefly wondered if she should try to make a run for it, but soon thought better of that. The Centaurs had the distinct advantage of having four legs instead of her mere two, meaning they could easily outdistance her no matter how fast she ran. Plus, she was still feeling too tired from the night's events, not to mention the wine.

There were three of them altogether, among which there was the one who called himself Firenze. She liked him, as he didn't seem as angry with her as the rest of them.

She sat where she was until the three of them reached her. Firenze was at the head of them, staring at her almost sadly.

"You have to come with us," he said simply.

Rebecca yawned, but got up to do as she was told. "Am I going home now?" she asked.

For a moment she swore she saw something that looked like regret in his eyes, but she couldn't imagine why that was.

"Not just yet," he admitted. "My Herd wishes to…_test_ you, I suppose would be the correct term."

"_Test_?"

"Yes, they wish to look into your future, find out if you would be… If you would be of any danger or use to us." Firenze hated stretching the truth

"My future?" Rebecca looked blankly at him.

Firenze frowned, remembering that since this was no Witch then she would know nothing of Centaur culture or that they could see certain things yet to be.

"Yes, my kind have the ability to look into one's future," he tried to explain, but did not bother to go into too much detail, seeing as Magorian and the others were waiting for them. "If you would please?" He indicated her to come with them.

She was confused, but then that was nothing new, as that was all she had been feeling all day since she had come face to face with that giant spider and these guys.

Nodding, she got up to follow them, but as it turned out there was no need, as the other two Centaurs suddenly came up to her and grabbed her by her arms, picking her up between them and carrying her out of the hut.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry,"" Firenze said apologetically, but made no move to stop them or tell them to put her down.

Rebecca grumbled. "Where were you guys when I was shopping in New York?"

They made no reply and just continued trotting over to the centre of their village, where she could see the rest of the Herd waiting for them, all standing by a large circle of six trees.

The crowd parted to let them pass. She briefly noticed Magorian standing a little off to the side with the dark one who had threatened her, and an old Centaur with a long white beard, but he made no move to speak to her. None of them did.

The two Centaurs holding her walked into the centre of the circle and planted her right on an enormous tree-stump that was in the middle, her rear-end landing with a hard bump. The whole congregating Herd waited outside of the circle, their eyes never leaving her.

She sat on the stump in growing unease, as she looked at the Herd. No one said anything, as they silently stared at her.

'And to think I used to like going to the Zoo,' she thought, feeling like one of the animals on display there.

Just then, the Centaurs broke their stoic stance and began to converge upon her. She put a death grip on the stump, ignoring the wooden splinters on it, afraid that they were going to attack her.

Thankfully, they only took a few steps forward, as a large mass of them entered the circle of trees surrounding her.

She watched in increasing trepidation, as the Centaurs filled the area around her and began to paw at the ground with their hooves. They then began to rotate around her, walking in a perfect circle, as an ominous drumbeat of music started playing from somewhere.

From among the crowd circling her, a red-coloured Centaur suddenly stepped forward with a flaming torch in his hand. He moved the torch slowly in front of him, as though he were moving it underwater, before he twirled around in tune to the drumbeat and threw it at her.

Rebecca gasped, as the torch flew from the Centaur's hand, landing just before her, in front of the stump she was sitting on. The second it touched the grass, the flames leapt up and spread all around the stump in a perfect circle, entrapping her within.

Her grip on the stump never lessened, and even tightened some more, as the flames nearly scorched her face, making her sweat.

The Herd increased the pace of their movements, as the drumbeats took on a more aggressive tone. Soon their limbs were whirling in the circle with a freedom of movement, in a strange sort of dance.

This dance went on for several moments, as the Centaurs kept rotating the ground, moving up close, only to draw back and then paw the earth with their hooves. As they did this, the old Centaur she had seen earlier came towards her, hobbling through the crowd, followed by Magorian and Bane.

He stopped, as he reached the fire surrounding her, staring at her keenly before reaching into a leather pouch tied around his waist. He pulled something out, but the flames and smoke made it difficult to see. Whatever it was, he threw it into the flames, causing them to rise up like when water was thrown on a gas fire. He reached his hand in again, pulling out several more handfuls of the unknown substance, throwing them onto the fire.

As they burned, a strange scent began to drift over the herding ground – a scent that smelled like flowers and honey with a mix of something else that she couldn't place, but which seemed _dark_ somehow.

It was Mallowsweet, an herb mixed with Sage, which she smelt. As the old Centaur burned it, he also began chanting something, but with all the noise from the Herd it was impossible for Rebecca to hear.

The fumes from the incense rose around her and towards the Centaurs, mixing together with the fire's smoke, and the Centaurs began to dance faster. They danced so fast that it became a gallop, and they opened their mouths, making weird laughing noises that sounded almost like the cackle of Hyenas.

Rebecca wanted to scream in defiance, and demand that they tell her what was going on, but the heat from the fire had made her mouth go so dry that she couldn't speak.

The Centaur herd danced faster and faster, their roaring laughter rising in volume, as they whirled around the circle of fire, its flames casting lights and shadows off their coats and making their eyes shine brighter than the fire itself.

Something about all this made Rebecca reminisce about an old Disney film she had once seen, a film where the Devil and his demons rose up from Hell and danced. She remembered it had scared her at the time, but at the same time it had also exhilarated her, just as this one was now doing.

As they danced even faster, a sudden loud banging was heard…

It sounded like a Gong, something that her family's butler used for announcing dinner. It echoed throughout the whole circle, causing all the Centaurs, in the space of a single second, to suddenly fall silent.

The Centaurs stood as still as statues, as the banging continued for a little while longer before it finally stopped. The old Centaur, who was now kneeling before her, began to rise up and hobble closer toward her on his bad leg.

As he came up to the edge of the fire, she expected someone to rush forward with a bucket of water to extinguish the flames, but instead…the flames started to shrink down, slowly getting smaller and smaller until they were eventually gone.

During this time, the elder then stood before her and raised his arms in front of him, staring intensely at the wavering fumes. She gulped, but did nothing to intervene, as the elder stared hard into the smoke.

His eyes, as she noticed, were old like the rest of him, but seemed filled with immense knowledge, alert, bright and somehow dangerous.

For a full minute he did nothing but stare at the fumes, and as he stared at them she began to feel the effects of the smoke. The sweet incense was like a heavy perfume, so strong that it was almost choking her. The warmth from the smoke moved about her, making her feel as if she were in water.

She started to feel woozy, as a wave of dizziness came over her. "What's…?" she whispered, as the trees around her looked as if they were now dancing. "What's happening? My head…"

"Shhh," Safyph said to her comfortingly, but was still keeping his eyes on the fumes instead of her. "Worry not, child. Everything will be all right. Just relax…and be at rest."

With those words, Rebecca felt what was left of her strength melt away, as she collapsed unconsciously onto the stump she had been left on.

A few minutes later, Safyph lowered his arms and then came toward her. He checked her vitals, ensuring that she was in fine health. After ascertaining this, he signalled Firenze and the two Centaurs that had brought her there to come forth.

"Take her back to the hut and see she gets some proper rest," he told them. "She'll sleep till sunrise."

Firenze nodded and gathered her up in his arms, handing her to one of his two brother-warriors who carried her out of the Circle and back towards the hut. Firenze had not bothered to take her back this time because he wanted to hear what Safyph had to say about his reading of the human's fate.

"Well, Safyph," Magorian asked the respected elder. "What can you tell us?"

"Remember, the Divination Ceremony may refine what the stars tell us, but not completely," Safyph explained. "Anything and everything it tells us could easily be…"

"We only desire one piece of knowledge, honoured elder," Magorian interrupted him. "The human, can she bear us strong offspring?"

Safyph sighed. "I saw visions of a possible future for her, yes."

"And?" Magorian asked, his ears and that of the whole Herd all perked up in near anticipation.

"I saw images of her in our Herd, surrounded by various foals, all of whom were strong and fine. Who the sires of these offspring were, I do not know. All I saw were the human and the foals, which clung to her in love and need."

"And that is all we need to know!" Magorian declared. "The Fates have spoken! The decision is made! The human will from this moment on remain with us as part of our herd."

The Centaurs all roared their approval, brandishing their bows and arrows, cheering and singing their own praises to the Fates. Firenze, on the other hoof, just stared at his leader almost in despair, but said nothing, knowing the futility of it all. The Divination Ceremony had been the human's last hope to leave, but now there was no chance of that.

He knew from the moment it had been suggested that the human could stay as a Breeder for their herd that there was little or no chance of her ever leaving. Their herd's numbers had grown so few in recent decades.

Part of him wanted to go to her hut right now and carry her out of here, maybe take her to Hagrid who would surely want to help, but that would be impossible. His brothers would be upon him in an instant, and even if they didn't, although he did not agree with their decision to keep her, Firenze was still a warrior of the Centaur Herd. He was loyal and dedicated to his kind, something that nothing could ever change.

Bane and Magorian had presented their case to the herd, they had all discussed it, even performed an ancient ritual to ask the Fates for their wisdom, and now the decision had been made. Whether he agreed with it or not was irrelevant, it had been made. He was sworn to serve his herd with all his body and spirit, and with the decision now made he had no choice but to accept it and deal with it. To do otherwise would be treason.

What else could he do? Just recently he had taken the sacred oath of their herd to prove his loyalty.

"_Who shall be the one to take her first?_" one Centaur suddenly asked out loud.

"_Me!" _

"_No, me!" _

"_I'm the strongest so I should be the one! I'll bear fine strapping foals with her!" _

"_HA! With __**what**__?" _

The whole herd soon erupted into a roar of indignant cries and insistent demands, each claiming that they were best suited for the role of Breeding partner to the Human female. The only two who were silent were Safyph and Firenze who stood nearby, watching them.

Safyph observed those of his Herd with his keen stare, his face expressionless, while Firenze stood aghast. It was not enough that they had taken this girl's freedom away from her, now they were fighting over who should be the first to force themselves on her.

"Magorian, My Leader, please!" Firenze demanded to be heard. His voice was normally more timid compared to those of the rest of his Herd, but now roared as loud as thunder. So much so that it attracted the attention of all his brothers before him. Even Safyph, Bane and Magorian looked at him curiously with cocked eyebrows.

"My Leader," he repeated, addressing Magorian. "If we are to keep this girl, as we have decided, then shouldn't we at least grant her some time to adjust to all that has happened? In the last few hours she has lost her freedom, her home and her very family and people, and to top it all off we are to demand her to start bearing offspring with us, a race that she knows little of."

"What matters how she feels?" Bane scoffed. "We desire her body for mating and breeding, nothing else."

"She will be distressed enough as it is," Firenze continued. "Humans have always been fragile things, physically and mentally. If we do this, she may even become suicidal. Then all this will be for naught."

Safyph looked to the chestnut Centaur. "What he says is true, My Leader," he admitted. "Perhaps it would be best to give her some time?"

Magorian looked thoughtful, as he considered Safyph's proposal. "Very well, here is my decision!" He announced to all those of his herd. "For now, the choice of the Human's Breeding partner will remain undecided! Until further notice, she shall live and work as one of us! Treat her as you would any other Centaur!"

There was a loud roar of disagreeable shouts from the herd, but Magorian stood his ground, and they soon quietened down. When the leader had made his decision, it was law.

"And just what is she supposed to do?" Bane snorted. "What _can_ a Human do?"

Magorian frowned for a moment, and then looked up. "She shall work with Safyph in taking care of the foals!" he decided. The idea of her working with the young seemed ideal. By working with the foals she might become wise to the idea of having young herself. "Firenze, since you seem to have developed a near enough friendship with her, you shall be responsible for her."

Firenze nodded, oddly happy with this decision. At least with him he could assure the girl's safety and well-being.

"That will be all then!" Magorian announced finally. "Sleep now, for tomorrow shall mark the beginning of a new chapter for our herd."

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**Next Morning;**

**0600AM: **

"Uhhh…" Rebecca moaned, as she slowly came to, her head feeling heavy. It felt just like that one time in school when some of her classmates had given her some Weed to try, something she had no intention of doing again.

'What the heck did I do last night?' she wondered, rubbing her eyes and forehead, and looked up... to see a huge penis dangling over her head.

"Eep!" she squeaked, bolting off the ground to scarper away, only to find four large hooves on either side of her, blocking her escape.

A long yawn then came from somewhere above her, followed by a loud horse's snort, as the beast's hooves began pawing at the ground around her, its tail swishing from side to side behind her. She half-expected it to start moving forward, crushing her head with its hooves, but it never did.

She noticed the front of its body start to lean forward, and she looked forward almost expecting to see a horse's head appear before her. But of course it was no surprise that it wasn't, as a man's upside down face was soon staring at her.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

"Err, Hi," she replied hesitantly. "Umm…Firenze, right?"

He nodded at her, still looking at her with his head upside down. "Yes, did you sleep well?"

"Apparently," she said.

Firenze then moved his head back up and started to walk forward out of the hut they were in, careful not to step on her, causing Rebecca to shut her eyes briefly, as his movements caused his lower-body to shake, jostling his unmentionables over her face. His tail moved over her face, its rough hair tickling her as it past.

"Do you require sustenance?"

"Huh?" she said, opening her eyes again.

"Do you want something to eat?" the Centaur asked.

"Oh…yes, please," she said gratefully, sitting up.

Firenze then left, apparently to find some food for her. When he left, she got to her feet and went outside to take a look at the Centaur camp in the daytime.

It wasn't that much different from the way she had seen it in the night, except there were more Centaurs than there had been before. The reason being was that last night there had been only adult Centaurs, but now there were youngsters as well.

The Herding Ground, as she remembered the Centaurs called it, consisted of several huts that were similar to what Native Americans had once used, made of animal-skins, the large circle of tress where she had been in last night, and one huge fire-pit where the bonfire had been, plus several other smaller fire-pits scattered around.

The hour was still early, as the sun was barely shining through the dense of the trees, yet everyone was out and about that morning. All of the adults she had seen last night, plus at least a dozen or so young…_foals_, she supposed they were called?

A few of the infants were trotting around the Centaur village, some were playing amongst themselves and others with some of the adults, but most of them were staying close to the old Centaur that she had seen last night. She recalled some of them calling him _Safyph_.

'Unusual name,' she thought. 'But then again, no more unusual than Firenze, Bane or that other one from last night.' These Centaurs really did have peculiar names.

A few moments past, all the while she kept staring around, looking at the foals that stared back at her. Most of them looked curiously at her, but none approached her, which was fine with Rebecca, as she had never been good with children…or with foals.

Eventually, Firenze returned…with two buckets?

She stared at him in mild shock, as he trotted over with the wooden buckets hanging from his grip, which he then dropped right in front of her. The first bucket was filled with some water, while the second held some drumsticks presumably left over from last night, plus some berries and some greenery that looked vaguely familiar to her.

She looked up at him with an unreadable expression upon her face. "What is _that_?" she asked finally.

Firenze shrugged his massive shoulders. "Water from our stream," he replied. "Roast Hippogriff leftover from last night, some blackberries and stewed nettles."

Rebecca felt her lungs deflate. "Stewed…_nettles_?"

Firenze nodded, smiling. "Yes, it's excellent for first thing in the morning," he said, and then, as if to prove a point, he reached into the bucket and pulled out a handful of the green soft-looking mush and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing noisily.

"Mmm," he murmured satisfactorily. "This growth, as I believe you humans would say, _puts hairs on your chest_."

She stared at him in horror, as he talked while he ate. She felt ill, as she watched bits of green flew from his mouth with each bite and spoken word. Having been brought up under the strictest manners, both at home and at school, seeing something like this was almost blasphemous to her.

"Something wrong?" the Centaur then asked her.

Rebecca swallowed the lump growing in her throat and forced her stomach to quell. "I don't suppose you have access to a Starbucks nearby, do you?"

Firenze's only response was an odd look.

"I didn't think so," she added. "I don't suppose then I could trouble you for a napkin, could I?"

0000000000

After she was given her breakfast, Rebecca had then been led somewhere deeper within the village. It was not within the large tree-circle, but elsewhere nearer the centre where the entire Herd were now consuming their foods.

She spent the next twenty minutes or so quietly eating her breakfast, making sure to stay clear of the stewed nettles, despite Firenze's insistence that they were fine.

Firenze and the other Centaurs were also eating their morning meal, though they did so with a bit more freedom than she was used to. All around her were the loud sounds of food being munched, muffled voices as they spoke to one another despite their mouths being full, and bits of food being thrown all over the place.

The churning in her stomach had already returned.

One smoky-grey Centaur, who sat close to her, let out a large excess of wind, polluting the air around her with a foul stench. And aside from a bit of a grunt, the Centaur made no comment or even a hint of an apology, not that anyone besides her seemed to mind, as everyone else just continued with their business.

Apparently, no one here had ever heard of personal hygiene before, nor cared anything for manners or the respect of others.

That was the final straw! She could take it no more.

"Haven't you guys ever heard of table manners?" she hissed. "Especially when you have company!"

The smoke-grey Centaur spared her a glance. "We have no table," he said simply.

What he said was true, as the Centaurs were mostly gathered in a circle with buckets of food and drink in front of them, which they each grabbed some from. They all did so without any "please" or "thank you", which drove her crazy.

"You'd better get used to our ways, human," the dark Centaur Bane said harshly. "If you're gonna be staying here."

'What does he mean by that?' she wondered. Hadn't they contacted her parents or the Rescue Service yet?

Then again, looking as they did she didn't suppose they would, but surely they would at least escort her out of the forest before long.

"When will I be returning home?" she asked out loud.

The entire herd then stopped in their feasting and gave her a long curious look, after which they burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You can never go home," the deep voice of Bane added, as he gave her a hard stare, making her feel uneasy.

"What do you mean?" she asked, shocked. "What do you mean I can't go home?"

Bane snorted. "Obviously you Muggles don't know as much as you pretend you do, do ya."

Rebecca opened her mouth to retaliate that remark, but another Centaur beat her by saying, "We need you here."

"Huh?" she said, looking dumbfounded, but Firenze was quick to speak.

"He means we cannot allow you to go, Rebecca Leicester," he said, addressing her by her full name. "Our kind has lived here in this forest for many a century in peace. If we were to allow you to leave, the temptation to reveal our secret might be too great for you to handle, and the Humans would learn of our existence and come after us."

"I won't tell anyone about you, your herd or where you live!" she insisted. "I mean, who in their right mind would believe me, anyway?"

Firenze sighed. He knew he was stretching the truth now, as he had made her believe that his herd relied on being hidden here in the peace and solitude of the forest.

Part of that was true, as they required their solitude to practice studying the stars, but they were hardly dependant upon it. Even if the humans were to learn of them, the Centaurs had centuries worth of experience in concealing themselves from prying eyes, and no doubt that Ministry of Magic would lend a helping hand, too, because if they were discovered then so would the rest of the magical world. However, he knew he could not tell her the truth, at least not yet, not until she had had a few days to settle first.

"I'm sorry," he told her honestly and quickly, for he feared that soon one of his brothers would reveal the truth to her, since none really cared whether she knew or not. "But we can't risk our secret being divulged to the human world."

"You're all insane!" she screeched. "If you think I am going to stay here for the rest of my life then you're all completely mad!" She got up to leave, but barely took a step before another Centaur, a black and white one, came up to her side, holding a bow and arrow that was aimed right at her throat.

Bane smirked. "I think you'll find is it you who are mistaken, human."

Rebecca gulped, as the black and white Centaur held his arrow at her, pulling it back against his bow. All he had to do was release it, and at the short distance it was at now would punch right through her neck.

She swallowed her fear and slowly sat back down, taking back up her breakfast bucket again and eating small bits from out of it. The Centaur nodded and then moved back to wherever it was he had come from, while the rest of the herd went back to finishing their meal.

Firenze looked at her sadly, as she kept her frightened eyes upon them all.

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"You can't really expect me to stay here, do you?" Rebecca whispered urgently to Firenze, as they made their way across the herding ground.

Firenze just gave another sigh. "I am truly sorry, Miss Leicester. But we cannot allow just anyone to leave our herd with the full knowledge of where we are or that we even exist. Maybe, in a few months time…"

"I don't wish or intend to stay here for a few months!" she hissed at him, and then immediately hushed, checking to see if another Centaur was listening to them with a bow drawn.

Firenze hated lying to her, but he knew that if he were to tell her the truth now, about the herd's plans for her, she would only become all the more upset and distressed. He would just have to wait until the right time came to reveal all to her, though when that would be he had no idea.

"There is nothing we can do about it for the moment," he said, telling the first honest thing he had said since the human had arrived. "For now, let us see to your duties."

"My what?"

Firenze nodded. "Since you are now part of our herd, you must do your own fair share of work. All Centaurs each have their own pivotal part to play in service to our herd. When we are not studying the stars for their wisdom, we must be out gathering firewood and berries, hunting, fishing, and of course defending our herd against intruders who would wish us harm."

"So what am I supposed to do then?"

"You will be aiding Safyph in taking care of the young ones," Firenze said, as he pointed to a small clearing in front of them, where she could see at least a dozen small infant Centaurs, laughing and playing with one another.

Rebecca started to get nervous again. "Err, Firenze?" she began hesitantly. "I'm not… Well, that is…"

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't really have a lot of experience with…_children_," she revealed.

The tall Centaur looked at her oddly. "I thought in human families it was the females who took care of the young ones?"

Rebecca felt some of the heat move back up into her face. "That doesn't mean we are all born with the knowledge of how to! And besides, in this day and age most fem…I mean most _women_ share their responsibilities concerning the children with the men now!"

Firenze held up his hands to her. "Forgive my ignorance," he apologised. "But I have had little experience with humans, at least with regards to family life."

Rebecca flicked her hair back with a tilt of her head. "Yes, well," she said in a huff. "It sounds to me like you need to update your information a few decades."

The Centaur warrior laughed. "Aye, probably. But come, Safyph is waiting for you."

Seeing little alternative, she walked with him to the clearing where the youngest Centaurs were even now staring at them, or more precisely _her_, in interest.

"Honoured elder," Firenze greeted the herd's eldest Centaur, bowing his head respectfully.

"You may go now," Safyph replied, indicating him to leave. Firenze bowed once again and did so, after giving Rebecca a look of encouragement.

Safyph was blunt and direct to the point. He wasted no time and pointed to a group of four of the youngest foals. "You will watch over these youngsters while I attend to the older one's lessons. You will not leave them alone, nor will they come to any harm. If anything like that does occur, you will suffer for your lack of focus, understand?"

Rebecca could only nod submissively in agreement. Safyph nodded back at her, and then turned to hobble over to the other foals that were waiting for him.

She looked back to the four young foals that were watching her with wide eyes full of curiosity. She found these Centaurs more agreeable than their elders. All of the older Centaurs looks were filled with something she could only describe as savagery and danger, but these youngsters had only innocence within them.

In a way, she supposed that bit of truth wasn't too different from humans and their children, as all humans started out young and innocent once, only to lose it all as they grew up. Adults were forever telling their children that growing up was nothing to be afraid of and that they should look forward to it, but sometimes she felt that growing up was the worst thing that could happen to anyone, if it meant losing their innocence.

"Err, hi?" she said hesitantly. She remembered how some of her father's political friends had come over to dinner, and sometimes brought their children with them. Her parents had often asked her to entertain them during the party, but she had always ended up giving them to one of the maids to take care of instead.

Was that ever a mistake to make, because now she could have definitely used the experience!

The Centaur foals circled her, eyeing her curiously from top to bottom. One of them came close, sniffing at her, while another touched her arm.

Upon instinct, Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest. After what had happened with the two older Centaurs in her hut, she didn't want to take any chances.

"_What happened to your back legs_?" one of the foals asked her.

"Huh?" she said.

"_Did someone cut your tail off?" _

The other foals seemed to have gotten over their nervousness at speaking to this strange newcomer, now that one of them had started asking the questions, and were now voicing their own queries.

"_Where's all your hair gone?" _

"_Your hooves look funny. Did they get crushed by a giant?" _

"_What're those bumps on your chest? Are they warts?" _

"_Why do they keep bouncing about?" _

Rebecca blushed at the last questions, and had to keep reminding herself that these young ones had never seen a human before so they were sure to have questions. Plus, never mind about humans, they had never actually seen a female, any female, before either, since all their race was made up of males, with the exception of the few who had the horse-body of a Mare, but even they had the half human body of a man.

"Umm," she started, wondering how she could explain all this. "Okay, first of all, I never had a tail. I've only ever had two legs. I don't have hooves, only feet. And most of my hair only grows on the top of my head…"

The foals cocked their heads at her in wonder. "How come you never had a tail?" one of them asked.

She shrugged. "Humans don't have tails."

"You're a human?" the foal that had spoken last said, a Palomino coloured one. He had heard of humans before, as who in his herd hadn't, but this human wasn't at all like the ones he had heard the elder Bane speak about. The way he talked of them, they were cruel, heartless and soulless creatures that had no respect for nature, and were ignorant of the stars and their lessons. But this human certainly didn't seem heartless, did she?

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, I… Umm, I guess I'm probably the first human you've ever seen before, right?"

The foals nodded.

"Well then," she spread her arms, as though she were on show. "Take a good look then, because this is what half of the humans in the world look like…at least the ones who can afford to, that is."

The foals crowded closer, eyeing her as though she were in a petri dish.

"Do all humans look as you do?" the first asked again.

She chuckled. "Not the ones without a £10,000 trust-fund, they aren't." When she didn't see the foals joining in her laughter, she frowned. "Okaaaay… How can I put this?" She scratched her head for a moment, trying to sum up the best explanation she could give on humanity.

"Each human only has two legs, no tails and no hooves," she explained roughly, and took off her shoe and indicated her feet to the foals. "These are called feet. The little things at the end are called toes. They are what give us balance so that we don't fall flat on our faces."

The foals looked at them in bewilderment. What weird things, they thought. How in the name of Jupiter could humans stand to walk about on things like that? They were so soft and puny.

"The human race is made up of two things called _man_ and _woman_," she continued, as she hurriedly put her shoe back on. She had forgotten that she hadn't taken it off since yesterday. She hoped the foals hadn't noticed the pong. "A man and a woman are similar to what your kind call a Centaur and a… " She tried to remember what Firenze had said the females, or what past for females, of the Centaur race were called. "…A Breeder," she said, finally remembering.

The youngsters knelt down, as they listened keenly to her lecture.

"The women look like me," she pointed to her chest. "They each have a set of these, which are called breasts. The Breeders of your herd have these, too, only they're located in their undersections. They produce milk for newborn babies."

The foals realised what she was talking about, having already known about the nursing of new foals from their Breeder elders. But what an odd place for human Breeders to keep their milk, they thought. How would the foals ever reach up to them?

From a little way to the right, Safyph was listening to her lesson, too, with interest. The foals he had been tutoring had gone to practise their bow skills, shooting at some targets from across the clearing. The Centaur elder already had a basic knowledge of human anatomy, having lived well over a hundred years and seeing many humans at Hogwarts, but he was interested in her lecture.

"Something wrong, elder?" Magorian's voice said. The leader had been coming over to see how the human was doing with the foals, and had seen Safyph staring at her.

"No, nothing at all," the old warrior replied, not startled at his arrival since he had already seen the leader heading towards him. He was old, but his senses were as acute as ever.

"How does the human fair with our young?" the leader asked. Bane had given him pause for worry about letting the human interact with their herd's foals, but so far it looked as if they were having no problem with her, or she with them.

"Fine," Safyph told him. "She seems to have a talent for teaching." He had hoped she would, as was the reason why he had asked that she be made to work with the foals in the first place. He felt a human teaching them would help give their current young less of a reason to hate humans, as their elders did. The hostility between their kind and the humans seemed to be growing even more so of late. Bane was a prime example, having hated the humans most of his life.

No one knew what Bane's beef with the humans was, not even Safyph. Only that he seemed to hate them with a vengeance.

"Maybe we should consider making her the foal's teacher?" the Centaur elder then suggested.

"Wouldn't that put you out of a position?" Magorian said, smiling slightly.

Safyph shrugged. "I have no qualms about sharing my position, my leader. Besides, my years are not growing any shorter. It makes sense for me to take on an apprentice this late in my life."

"Do I take it then that what was revealed to you in the Divination Ceremony has put your mind at rest?" Magorian then asked. "You, too, believe she should remain with us indefinitely."

"Partly," the elder said hesitantly. "However, there are a few inconsistencies that I have not yet been able to unveil."

Magorian frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Remember, nothing is ever certain," Safyph explained. "Least of all the future. It is not written in stone so it can be open up to all sorts of interpretations."

"What do they say?"

Safyph pawed at the ground with his one good hoof for a while. "What I saw in the Divination was that if she remained with us, she would bear fine foals, and I believe in time she would come to feel at home with us. But…"

"But what?" Magorian asked, frowning.

"That was not the only future I saw for her," Safyph revealed. "As well as the future with us, I saw an alternative one where she returned to her home in the Muggle world."

"An alternative?" Magorian asked, almost in disbelief. "Those are exceedingly rare. Could you have seen wrong, my elder?"

"I did not," Safyph replied simply. "I saw what I saw."

"And what was it you saw?" Magorian added, still confused, but also a little uneasy. He did not like the possibility of this human leaving, not after they had already decreed that she would be staying.

"I saw her future divided," Safyph continued to explain. "At a certain point of time from now, the human will be forced to make a choice. This choice she makes will decide which future will come to be, the one with us or the one in her homeland."

"What choice, elder?"

"I do not know. The stars do not say exactly, only that it will be one where she must make a choice for _herself_ and no one else." He looked at his herd's son with a small smile, and patted his shoulder. "I did warn you, my son… Nothing is absolute."

Magorian frowned again, but nodded. "Perhaps..."

Safyph nodded. "By your leave, my leader." He then gave a small bow of respect to Magorian, and then departed to check on how his young pupils were doing with their archery lessons.

Once he was gone, Magorian called over to one of his chief archers, a muddy brown Centaur called Adair, whose brown colouring blended him in perfectly with the woodland.

"You need something, my leader?" Adair asked, as he approached Magorian, bowing.

"Yes," Magorian told him. "Watch the human closely. See to it that she does not stroll too far from the Herding Ground. If she does, bring her back by any means necessary, but do not kill her."

"As you say," Adair complied, heading over behind one of the huts, spying the human as she talked with the foals.

Magorian watched him and Rebecca for a while, before turning to deal with his every day duties.

Rebecca, meanwhile, was still busy talking with the young foals. She soon noticed that the rest of the herd's Centaurs were busy chattering amongst themselves, and she came up with a plan…

"You know what?" she halted in her talk about human reproduction. "How about we take a short break, maybe play a game?"

The foals smiled brightly. "What game?" they all asked.

"Do you know hide n' seek?"

The foals all looked at her with blank expressions, as they cocked their heads curiously.

Okay, apparently not.

"It's a game where one of us counts to 100 while the others go and hide," she explained. "Then when the first is finished counting, he or she then has to go and find the others."

"Is it some sort of exercise?" one of the foals asked.

"Yes, if you like," she admitted. "It could help you improve your tracking skills and such. Do you want to try it?"

The foals all happily agreed, and Rebecca told them to go hide, as she would go first as the seeker. While they hurried away, she made a show of counting with her eyes closed, while secretly her eyes were only half-closed, as she kept an eye out for any bigger Centaurs coming nearby. Once all the foals were gone, out of sight, she hurriedly finished counting before seemingly heading out to find them. She looked in some of the nearest bushes or huts, where she knew none of them were hiding in, as she gradually got closer to the thicket leading out into the forest.

When she finally got to the thicket, she took a chance and immediately started running. She figured that if she ran quick enough, she could get lost in the bushes and go unseen by the Centaurs.

Rebecca rushed through the branches, running as fast as she could, her shoes making loud thumping noises on the ground as they hit the soil.

[WHOOSH!]

She didn't even hear the sound of the arrow, as it whizzed through the air before imbedding itself in her shoulder.

"AARGH!" she squealed, when the arrow struck. In shock, she fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder and feeling the long wood now imbedded there.

A moment later, a muddy brown Centaur trotted out from between the trees, as he approached her seemingly without concern. He certainly showed no care in the fact that she now had an arrow implanted within her.

"You shouldn't run away from the herd," he simply said, ignoring the glare that Rebecca threw his way. Obviously, Magorian had been right to order him to watch over her. Humans could clearly not be trusted.

He knelt down to her level, scooping her up and tucking her under his arm, before heading back toward the Herding Ground.

As far as escape plans went, this first one was a definite bust.

To Be Continued… 


	4. Chapter 4

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JFK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_**This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'!**_

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**Centaur Herding Ground; **

**0830AM:**

Rebecca hissed as Firenze applied some Healing Salve onto her wound. They had already pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, although not by any modern medical technique that she knew of.

Adair, the Centaur who had shot her and brought her back to the Herding Ground, had had a long-winded discussion with Firenze, who seemed most infuriated with him for shooting her. After which, the brown Centaur had then painfully placed his hooves onto her arms, holding her down, but taking care not to place his entire weight upon her, for fear of breaking some bones. While he had been doing this, Firenze had then ripped the arrow out of her shoulder, ignoring her screams of pain.

"I take it you people have never taken a class in First-Aid before," she groaned, as Firenze rubbed the salve into her.

Adair just snorted at her, seemingly in disgust. "If you humans weren't so weak and feeble with pot-bellied skin," he said, "unlike we Centaurs, then you wouldn't feel the need to ask for…whatever it is you asked for." He then gave her a flick of his tail and left, happy to leave the human to Firenze's care, but Rebecca could still see him watching from a safe distance. She supposed that was to be expected, as she had just tried to escape, regardless of how the attempt had ended.

Firenze on the other hand had stopped for a short moment, giving her an odd look. "We are not _people_," he simply said. "We are Centaurs! Call us beasts or animals, whichever you prefer."

She turned to stare at him. "Well, I know you're part horse and everything, but… Well, you can talk like a man. So don't you prefer being called a man instead of a beast or an animal?"

Firenze shook his head fiercely. "Definitely not!" he declared.

"Oh…why?" she asked, genuinely confused. "How can you possibly prefer being called a beast instead of a man?"

Firenze scoffed. "Long ago, our herd was given the choice to become part of what was called the _Being Status_," he explained. "The humans at the time stated that _a Being was any creature born with __sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws. _Our herd was offered the chance to be referred to as such, but we refused._"_

"Why?"

"Because, even today, we prefer to remain being called lowly beasts rather than have to share the title of _Beings_ with loathsome creatures such as the Vampires and Hags!" Firenze stated proudly. "It is a decision we have never come to regret. Even the Mer-people agreed with us."

"Vampires?" Rebecca said, amazed. "Hags… _Mer-people_?"

"Yes," Firenze said, giving her an almost exasperated look. "Don't tell me you don't know about them either?"

Rebecca turned her nose up. "Of course I do!" she said indignantly. "Vampires are undead creatures that feed on blood, Mer-people are fish-like people who live underwater, and Hags… That's just another word for a witch, isn't it?"

"A savage form of witch, yes," Firenze told her. "They are the worst of all evil witches, said to be shape-shifters and devourers of children. I have never seen one myself, but it is known even among my kind that you should never antagonise a Hag, should you see one."

"Charming," she added sarcastically. "What I'd like to know is how come all these supernatural creatures have been living in the same world as I, and yet I nor anyone else have ever seen them before, including you?"

The Centaur shrugged. "Your kind have been too blind to see, I guess." At her indignant look, he added, "Not that it's entirely your fault. The human sorcerers have done all in their power to ensure that none of your people would ever discover the truth."

"Why? Why don't they just tell everyone? It would sure make life easier for them."

"Doubtful," Firenze frowned. "I am not certain if I'm remembering it correctly, but upon occasion my herd have heard about certain events in your race's history whenever non-magical humans discovered the existence of magical folk. There are two events that I know of over the last 1000 years… One was called the Inquisition, and another the Salem Witch Trials."

Rebecca paused, chewing her lower lip nervously. She had read up on those events in school. Both were dark times where many people had been accused of heresy and witchcraft, often resulting in someone being tortured to death.

"On second thought," she then added. "Maybe I can understand their need for secrecy."

"Exactly," Firenze replied. "Every time whenever those of your breed of humans have learnt of the existence of magical creatures, even when some were of your own kind, your people went all out to try and eradicate them. You seem to have no concern or feeling towards any outside your own culture."

"That's not true!" she almost shouted. "Yes, in the past my people have done bad things, but in recent years we have tried undoing the mistakes our ancestors did. We helped replenish a lost species of animal, everyone's into recycling and driving non-diesel fuel cars, and saving forests."

"I will admit your kind has done a lot in recent decades to make up for in past errors of judgement," he admitted. "And I highly respect your attempt, but the truth is…as horrible as this sounds…your people just have a natural hatred for those different from you. You fear what you do not understand, and you hate what you fear. And what you hate and fear, you usually end up trying to destroy."

Rebecca wanted to shout and curse at him, denying what he was saying, but at that moment for no particular reason, she remembered something from her schooldays. She recalled, when she was in her first year, a student who was of African origin coming to stay at her school.

She had never had anything to do with the girl, but she remembered how some of the other girls had used to tease and bully her, calling her names and insulting her because of the colour of her skin, as she had been the only African student at the time. She hadn't stayed at their school for long, leaving after only a few weeks.

Rebecca couldn't remember the girl's name, but she could remember how tear-stained her face had always been, and she remembered how her fellow students had forever been laughing and jeering at her.

Maybe there was something to what Firenze was saying after all? After all, if humans couldn't learn to get along with each other, then what chance would other intelligent species have?

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After Firenze had finished bandaging up her shoulder, Rebecca had wanted to rest, but Magorian would hear nothing of it. The wound was not serious, thus she had no reason not to continue working.

She had cursed and pouted, but her words fell on deaf ears. Obviously, these Centaurs cared nothing for laziness, and she had been put straight back to work in helping take care of the foals.

The rest of the day had passed slowly until it was finally time for dinner, something that she was mighty glad for…until she found out what it was they were having.

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**0600PM: **

Rebecca groaned, as she flopped down in the circle of Centaurs. Many were even now munching on their evening meal, some giving her a short glance, but mostly all were just too busy eating to care about her.

Firenze was waiting for her in the circle, offering her a seating place beside him, which she accepted. She had been in the Centaur herd now for a full day, and so far he was still the only hospitable Centaur there was, and the only one who showed her even a smidge of courtesy.

He past her a bucket, once she sat down, along with another one filled with the wine, which he kept to the side. The first was filled with some kind of stew, but she couldn't place the odour, as it didn't smell like either beef or lamb. But it still smelt good, and she was hungry so she didn't question it.

She reached into the bucket, pulling out one of the large chunks of meat, and took a bite.

"Mmm," she murmured, wiping her mouth with a small clean rag that she had found before arriving there. "Lovely meat. I've never tasted anything like it before. Is it boar or deer?" she asked, guessing that there must be some of those in these large woods.

Some of the Centaurs laughed, while Firenze just shook his head gracefully. "No," he replied. "Acromantula."

She frowned. "I've never heard of that before," she admitted. "It's funny, as that name sounds similar to…" She stopped, as she was now looking deeper into her bucket.

She had not noticed before, but some of the meat there had some odd-looking bone structures attached to it, like long thin sticks, almost like…_legs_?

'Acromantula…Tarantula…S_pider_!'

She quickly remembered the giant monster-spider that had attacked and chased after her when she had first arrived in this mad forest.

"Ohhh…" she moaned, as her stomach felt like it was beginning to make twists and turns.

"Something wrong?" Firenze asked, not seeing what the problem was.

"This…" she tried to say, her face turning green. "This is…this is a…a spider…isn't it?"

"Yes?" the gentle Centaur replied, still not seeing the problem. "An Acromantula, the largest species of spider there are. They are a carnivorous and highly dangerous race, hard to track and even harder to kill. But they also make a great stew!"

"Ohhh!" Rebecca could no longer hold it in, and ran out of the circle with her hand covering her mouth, the sounds of retching soon following her.

Firenze blinked in confusion. "What did I say?" he wondered aloud.

0000000000

Rebecca moaned again, wondering if her stomach would force up yet another helping of her dinner, though she couldn't imagine there being anything left.

'Serves me right for eating something without first asking about it,' she thought miserably. 'But who on earth would actually eat spiders?'

The sound of someone trotting up to her hut soon reached her ears, and she looked up to see Firenze looking down at her in concern.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

She just nodded. "Now I know what the old lady who swallowed a fly felt like," she said.

"Huh?" he asked, looking at her blankly.

"Never mind."

"I brought you this," he said, holding out a small skin-bottle filled with water. "I thought you might be thirsty?"

"You thought right," she replied gratefully, taking the rock and drinking from it in earnest, the cool water rinsing her mouth of the foul aftertaste of bile, and easing her stomach. "Thank you."

"I apologise, too," he then added.

"Apologise for what?"

"For the dinner. I did not take into consideration that, as a human, you would be unused to my kind's tastes."

'If you can call it taste,' she thought briefly, but added aloud, "Don't worry about it. I'm still getting used to a lot of things around here, but…" She stared hard at him. "Firenze, I can't stay here! Please, you must know that I'm telling the truth. My parents must be worried sick about me, and… I know I can only give you my word, and as a human that's probably not much to you, but I swear my word is my bond. I promise I won't reveal your herd's secret to anyone, just please…let me go?"

Firenze looked at her in despair, and was about to speak when just then Adair entered the hut. He looked at them as though they were doing something inappropriate, but made no mention of it.

"Firenze," he ordered the younger Centaur. "Magorian desires your presence in the Circle."

Firenze instantly backed up to leave the hut. "I will be back soon," he promised her. "And I will make your words known to Magorian as well, I promise."

Rebecca just nodded gratefully at him as he left, followed by Adair.

"Don't get any ideas, young un," Adair told him, as Firenze was about to leave for the Circle. At the younger Centaur's inquisitive look, he added, "I've been watching that human's hind all day, and who knows how much longer after today. With that in mind, I have every intention of being the first!"

"The first?"

Adair grinned. "The first who gets to take her, of course! Many in the herd are already discussing who gets to be the next to bear foals with that girl, and let me tell you, I have no intention of letting any fool Centaur go before me."

Firenze snorted in disgust. "A little early isn't it to be making assumptions who she will breed with first, isn't it? She has been with us just a day now."

Adair shrugged. "From what I hear, she only has the next two sunsets."

"What?"

Adair just continued grinning at him. "Figured that's what Magorian wanted to talk to you about. Best not keep him waiting."

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"TWO DAYS?" Firenze shouted. "Magorian, my leader, surely you jest?"

Magorian eyed Firenze dangerously. "Watch your voice and tone, Firenze," he said warningly. "I have discussed this matter with Bane and Safyph. We are all in agreement. When the rays of the second sunset have past, the human shall embark on her new life as one of our herd's breeders."

"But, Magorian," Firenze said desperately. "You said we were to give her time to become familiar with our herd. Would it not be best if…"

"I have already told you, Firenze, this discussion is now resolved. Talking about it further will not change our minds. If you wish, you may tell the human now what is to become of her, to prepare her for her night's…_activities_."

With that, the chestnut leader left, leaving behind a very distressed Firenze in his wake. What was he to do now?

Firenze had hoped beyond hope that in time his herd would come to know the human and decide to let her part in peace, but that was now impossible. He knew the human would need far more time to form close friendships with those of his race.

Deep down, he also feared the night to come. There were many among his herd that bore a distinct hatred of humans, for many reasons such as their constant disrespect for the earth and its creatures. He doubted that many of them would take care to be gentle with Rebecca on the night of her _initiation_ into the herd.

He knew he would have to tell her the truth, as there was no way out of it now. But how on earth was he supposed to tell her?

"Something troubles you, my son?" the voice of the herd's elder reached him.

Firenze turned to see Safyph behind him. Despite his age and lame leg, he still had the ability to sneak upon people when he wanted to.

"Elder," he said, greeting the old Centaur with respect before allowing his feelings to show. He looked at the old Centaur with a mixture of confusion and rage. "Why in the name of all the stars did you agree with Magorian's plan for the human's breeding to begin in two days time? Did you not say that it would be far better for her to have time to adjust to her new surroundings?"

Safyph gazed at the younger Centaur sympathetically. "First of all, my son," he started. "I did not openly agree with Magorian's order to move the night of the human's breeding. I actually reminded him of my suggestion to wait till she grew used to us, but he would not consider it."

Firenze paused for a few moments, and then bowed his head in shame. "Forgive me, elder. I meant no disrespect, but when Magorian told me that you, he and Bane had already decided without me…"

"Yes," Safyph said as he nodded, sounding a little disapproving. "Bane was most intent on the human's fate. He pressured Magorian into bringing the breeding date forward. Our leader finally agreed."

"That comes as no surprise to me. Out of the entire herd, Bane has always had the most hate towards humans. Although he was originally against her remaining with us, the thought of a new breeder, and no doubt imprisoning a lone human, is most agreeable to him. But what I don't understand is why Magorian was even discussing this in the first place, if we had already decided upon waiting?"

"I fear I may be the cause of that," Safyph sighed in regret. "I revealed to Magorian earlier today of all that I had seen in the human's near future. I saw two possible paths for her, one that led to her remaining here and bearing foals for us, and the other that would return her home."

"She has two futures?"

"Two _possible_ futures, my son," Safyph explained. "As I explained to Magorian, nothing, least of all the future, is set in stone. At the moment, the girl's life is at a crossroads, where one tiny decision can make all the difference."

"So...she could still go home?"

Safyph shrugged. "Possibly, but for her to do that she will need to make one important decision."

"And what decision is that?"

"I do not know. The stars have not revealed that to me, only that it will be one that she and she alone must make, and one where she must decide for her own sake and not for others."

Firenze frowned at Safyph's words, but knew that the stars were not always forthcoming with their knowledge. Even with all the spells of divination that they had to refine their star-findings, they were always open to misinterpretation. The stars were tricky that way.

"After I told Magorian this, he became concerned," Safyph continued. "I suppose he feels that the sooner they proceed with the breeding, the less chance she'll have of ever leaving."

"Could you not have stopped him, or made him listen to reason?"

"Just because I was once leader does not give me the right to command others still, Firenze. Magorian is now our leader, and one whom we are sworn to obey, as he is sworn to serve those of our herd. Never forget that."

Firenze sighed, nodding in submission. "I know… Magorian has made his choice clear, so it is now up to me to prepare for the second night's event."

"Will you be telling Rebecca now?" Safyph asked, for once using Rebecca's name instead of just _the human_.

"Not now, but tomorrow at the latest," Firenze promised, suddenly fearing tomorrow more than anything.

"Very well, but in the mean time, come. The feast has yet to finish, and it appears as though your young friend has decided to rejoin us." He pointed over to the circle, where Firenze looked to see Rebecca heading back towards.

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Rebecca was wary of going back to the dinner, as she had no great desire to eat roast spider again, but she was so hungry that she could not deny the angry rumbling in her stomach any longer.

The Centaurs seemed to be drinking heavily from some of the other buckets. She guessed it had to be some of that yellow wine that she had seen last night. She briefly wondered where they got the wine from, guessing that they had to make it themselves, but…they just didn't seem like grape-pickers to her. She had once visited a vineyard with her father, him being a great lover of fine wines, and had seen how the wine was made. She had even taken part in the grape crushing, where the winemakers would take off their shoes and step on the grapes to crush them.

Somehow, she just couldn't imagine a Centaur stepping into a large tub and lifting their hooves up and down to squash grapes all day long.

The herd were all apparently enjoying themselves, as they drank from their wooden buckets, one of them so deeply that he poured half of it down his chest, which another Centaur then pressed his face to, licking the sweet nectar off with his tongue.

Rebecca shuddered, but said nothing, knowing better now than to risk insulting these creatures. She also knew better now to stay away from the odd pieces of meat with the long stringy legs pointing out of it, heading instead toward the buckets of berries. As long as she ate enough of them, she'd be fine.

Near the campfire, all the Centaurs who weren't eating were engaged in some evening activity. Some were having a log-throwing competition, it seemed, as one white Centaur heaved a huge log by himself, clear across the campsite. Others were in an area testing their archery skills, which she stayed firmly away from, having already been the target of a Centaur's arrow that day already.

A lot of the Centaurs were simply doing some stargazing, as they stared at the brilliant night-diamonds with primitive-looking, but seemingly efficient, telescopes.

A loud neighing sound then caught her ear, and she turned to see two Centaurs over to the right, engaged in some sort of wrestling match. They each had their hands gripping the others, while charging themselves forward, trying to push the other one back, no doubt to prove who was the stronger. One of them then broke the contact and managed to get the other one in a headlock, but the second was quick and agile, as he leapt back and reared himself up on his hind-legs, kicking at his opponent with his front hooves.

They went at this for a while, with their comrades cheering them on. The two of them were ruthless, neither of them looking ready to give up, as they beat at each other.

She watched them for a few moments, admiring their perseverance and strength. She hated to admit it, but she found it hard to look away from them. The way the firelight shone on their hides, their muscles bulging beneath them, as they struggled against one another. It made her think of what ancient warriors must have been like in the days of this species' homeland.

"_So the little human has decided to grace us with her presence, eh?" _a slurred voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

She jumped slightly, turning to see a large and dark-golden coloured Centaur, with big hands. He looked as if he had had one too many sips from his bucket, as he swayed unsteadily on his hooves. He grinned at her; his bucket carried under one arm. "Come to check out the best stock, eh, breeder?" he said. "Wanna see who can give you the best ride?"

She stared at him, puzzled, wondering why he had called her _breeder_. Then she remembered that the Centaurs referred to the ones among them, who bore their young, as Breeders (the closest thing they had to a female). So she supposed that she would be called one, too. But what did he mean by giving her the best stock and ride?

"Just come to get a little dinner," she said, reaching for the bucket of berries.

[SLAP!]

"Ohhh!" she yelped, as the golden Centaur smacked her on her bottom. She spun around, giving him a fierce glare. "What do you think you're…!" she began, but didn't get to finish, as another Centaur then pinched her backside. "HEY!"

The Centaurs just grinned down on her.

"_Sounds like the little mare is a bit stroppy tonight, eh!" _

"_Maybe she needs to go for a ride?"_

The two of them laughed loudly. Just before Rebecca could think to feel scared, she felt one of them grab her by her shoulders, and lift her high above his head.

"Hey, put me down, you big beast!" she screamed, kicking her legs furiously at what turned out to be the golden one. "Do you hear me? Put me DOWN!"

"To command is to obey!" he boomed, and with one toss of his enormous hands, he threw her up into the air.

She screamed, as she whizzed right over the campfire, barely missing the flames as they licked at her. She feared hitting the ground any moment, but was saved when one of the other Centaurs caught her in his burly arms. Her relief was short-lived, however, when he then tossed her back up into the air, once again soaring over the fire and back into the first Centaur's arms.

The rest of the gathered Centaurs had soon noticed their odd game of catch, but instead of coming to her aid like gentlemen, they all roared with laughter. Soon, each of them was drawing up close, holding out their arms in an attempt to join in catching her. Even the two wrestlers had ceased in their earlier sport, seeming to prefer this game instead.

Rebecca squealed, as she flew through the air yet again. Her stomach was twisting so much, she was certain she was going to be sick. She had just passed over the fire again, her body heading towards the outstretched arms of a young lean Centaur with misty grey hair, when...

"NEEIGHHHHHH!"

A loud neighing sounded, and just when she was about to fall into the misty one's arms, she felt something bang into her body in midair, grabbing her and dropping to the ground.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" a loud voice roared.

Once she got her breathing to slow down, she looked up into the face of whichever one of the Centaurs had caught her, and found it to be none other than Firenze. He held her in his arms, holding her close to his chest, as he glared at his comrades with a menacing look. The other Centaurs glared back at him briefly, but he stared them down until eventually they seemed to grow weary, preferring instead to go back to their food and binge drinking.

"Are you alright?" he asked her in concern.

Rebecca blushed, as she found herself staring at him more keenly. She hadn't realised until then what a fine masculine chest he had, or how strong the muscles in his arms were. "Yes, thank you," she meekly replied.

Firenze asked her no more questions, and began to make his way out of the circle and back towards their hut. When he reached it, he carefully put her down. "I will bring you some food," he promised her. "For now I think it is best that you remain here. And in future, I suggest you do not come into the circle late. My brothers tend to enjoy their wine a little too much, as you yourself have just witnessed."

They were not the only ones, as Firenze himself liked the taste of wine also, but he saw no reason to tell her of this little fact. She seemed nervous enough as it was.

"No roast spiders!" she said quickly.

Firenze smiled and nodded. "No fear of that. I will bring you some fruits, nuts and berries, alright?"

She nodded gratefully, and he turned around to leave, his tail swishing into her face as he did.

Rebecca coughed a little, rubbing her face. "If I don't get out of here soon," she said to herself. "I may be the first human to get whiplash from a horse's…I mean a _Centaur's_ tail."

Firenze returned a short while later, carrying a couple of buckets with the food, which she gratefully dug into. It may have only been mere fruits and berries, not what one would have for a full meal, but it was certainly a lot better than roasted spider.

"I brought you some of this also," he said, offering her the second bucket. She looked into it to discover that it was wine, which she shook her head at. "Thank you, but no. I don't really drink."

"Perhaps, but it will go down well with the fruit, and it will help you sleep," he insisted. "Come, I will drink with you." He held the bucket to his lips, taking in a large gulp before setting it down and licking his lips. "Ahhh," he sighed. "That hit the spot. Puts hairs on your chest."

'How many more hairs does a Centaur need?' she thought, considering the fact that Centaurs were hairy all over.

Not wanting to be rude, she took the bucket from him to take a sip, but the weight in it was too heavy for her to hold.

"Whoaaaa," she said, as she struggled to keep from it from dropping. Firenze however was quick to help, as he took the pail from her and held it to her lips. She took a few swallows, finding the wine sweet and relaxing. It tasted more like Apple Cider than wine, but with a definite kick.

"Mmm," she murmured, lowering the pail from her face before wiping her lips.

"Good?" Firenze asked her.

"Very," she acknowledged, and yawned.

"You should sleep now," he said, and then got up to move behind her. Rebecca briefly wondered what he was doing until he got behind her and lay down, providing a comfortable headset for her to lay on.

She sighed in content, as she laid her weary head on his side, and he draped his arm across her, almost protectively. "Would you mind doing something for me?" she asked, yawning again as she did so.

"What do you desire?"

'Aside from getting me away from here as far as possible?' she thought, but decided not to say it aloud. "Could you bring me some pencils and paper?"

"Pencils…and paper?" He could get paper easily enough, he thought, as he could ask Hagrid for some from the school. He would just explain to the giant that he required them to record some of his latest findings from the stars. As for the pencils though, he had never even heard of those things before, but he would ask Hagrid all the same. Even if he couldn't get some for him, he would probably know someone who could. "As you wish. I will get some tomorrow."

She yawned again. The wine, although seemingly weak, had really started to tilt her head, which together with the tiring day she'd had was enough to send her straight to dreamland. "Thank you," she murmured, relaxing her head into Firenze's side, ignoring the wild scent of the forest in his hide, finding comfort in it somehow.

Firenze frowned. He knew he should have told her about what his herd intended for her, but he would just have to tell her tomorrow. There was no point in doing it now.

He smiled, as he stroked back a lock of fair hair from her face, while she gently snoozed on his belly.

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**Next Morning: **

Rebecca woke up the next morning with a bit of a headache, thanks to the wine she had had in the night, but felt more or less okay. Firenze was already awake, as she found herself still resting on his side.

She blushed. "Umm, good morning," she said, greeting him.

Firenze nodded at her. "Salutations," he replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like the dead," she said, but added mentally, 'But I'd feel a whole lot better if I could actually brush my teeth once in a while.'

She knew it wasn't the Centaurs' fault, as they had been born and raised in the forest, and knew nothing of modern day facilities, but _damn_ she just could not figure out how they survived! No toothpaste to clean their teeth, no indoor plumbing, no baths, no electricity, no nothing.

How was she supposed to live in this place without any of the basic necessities for survival?

She picked herself up off the ground, groaning as she did. Another thing she missed was having a bed. Firenze followed her, as he too rose from the ground, stretching his arms out in a loud yawn.

Rebecca found herself blushing again, as she watched how the muscles in his arms flexed and bulged with his stretch. She wondered why she had never found a human man with a build like that? All the boys she knew her age were from well-respected and rich families, but who basically couldn't change a flat tyre or even have the strength to lift the Jack.

"Hungry?" he asked her, to which she nodded.

He left her for a couple of minutes, giving her time to do whatever she could to make herself as presentable as could be expected in such dire circumstances, however small that was. What she wouldn't give for just a mirror.

Firenze soon returned with some more buckets of fruits and berries.

"So what am I doing today?" she asked, taking the fruits gratefully from him.

Firenze shrugged. "Just what you were doing yesterday I imagine. Safyph should already be up. Do you want me to go find him for you?"

"No, I know where to go, and I…" she trailed off in mid-sentence, having just realised something. Despite everything that had happened to her recently, she found that she was almost growing used to life here with the Centaurs. She had been there no more than a day, and already it was like she was forgetting her old life and consenting to forever remain with them.

_That_ scared her.

Firenze, meanwhile, had seemingly not noticed her discomfort. He had his own duties to perform that day, plus something personal that he had to see to, so he was in a bit of a rush. "Forgive me, Rebecca," he said apologetically, "but I must take my leave of you for now." He bowed respectfully before her, but she did not seem to notice. "Do you… need anything else before I go?" he then asked hesitantly.

She just shook her head. "I'll be fine. Just go."

Firenze hesitated for a moment longer, but then finally left, leaving Rebecca alone with her thoughts until she heard the old voice of Safyph calling for her.

0000000000

Sure enough, her duties today were the same as the day before; mostly spending time with the foals. Apparently, today she was taking them to the river for a bath.

Like most children, the foals were not all that keen to be cleaned, and the cold water in the river didn't help much either, but once they were in they seemed to forget all that and started having fun by splashing each other.

She shouldn't have taken any of her clothes off really, even when going into the river, considering how cold it was, but seeing as she only had the one outfit with her, she couldn't afford to ruin it. She had no intention, however, of becoming one with nature and going nude, like the Centaurs.

Rebecca coughed and spluttered, as one foal splashed some water into her face. "Hey!" she complained, but the foal merely gave a snigger and quickly wadded off to play with his friends and brothers.

She wiped the water out of her eyes and couldn't help wondering if she had been this tough to give a bath when she had been a child.

She couldn't stop shivering, as she stood waist-deep in the river, the icy water chilling her to the bone. She had tried to tell the Centaur, Adair, in charge of watching over her that humans were more sensitive to the cold than his kind, but he had just snorted, telling her not to be so weak and whimpering; if the foals could do it then why not she?

It didn't seem to have occurred to him that the foals, although young, had a pelt of hair all over their bodies, which helped keep them warm.

She turned to look over at her _guardian, _and Adair was there with his sharp eyes watching her every move, making her spin her head back instantly. 'Doesn't he ever take a break?'

She reached for one of the other foals, but he too made a dash for it, giggling as he rushed through the water to get away from her. She cursed quietly, waddling after him. "Get back here!" she yelled, but the foal either didn't hear her or wasn't taking any notice… most likely the later.

Rebecca's teeth chattered from the cold, but she pushed herself on. She made it a foot forward when, for no reason other than to see if Adair was watching her suffer, she turned to look at her keeper…but found him conversing with some other Centaur that must have just come up to him, to talk.

She quickly looked about, but saw none of the other older Centaurs nearby. They were all too busy either hunting, practicing archery, wrestling or other such things that they did with their time. Now couldn't be a better chance for another attempt to escape.

After making one final check that Adair was still not looking at her, she clenched her teeth from the cold and then dove under. At that moment, she blessed her mother for always insisting on her having swimming lessons, as right now those endless Saturday mornings at the pool she'd had to go to might help her escape.

She swam underwater for as long as she could hold her breath, kicking her legs as fast as she could, until her head finally broke the surface. The cold was absolutely numbing, so much so that she felt that if someone were to hit her on the head it might shatter.

She could see none of the Centaurs near her. She pressed on for a little while further, until she swam up to one of the banks, breathing hoarsely as she tried to get her breathing under control. The cold was making it hard for her to breathe.

She climbed up out of the water, her teeth with seemingly no desire to stop chattering, as she braved herself against the bitter cold. All through it she couldn't stop thinking 'What I wouldn't give for an electric blanket right now.'

"_Good swim?"_ a voice then broke the silence of the woods.

Rebecca squealed and nearly fell back into the river, as she looked up and saw none other than Adair, standing mostly hidden between the branches of an old oak and a young willow.

The archer-Centaur grinned at her. "Told you if the foals could do it, you'd be able to."

If not for the intense cold, she would have had to slap herself to stop from launching herself forward and attacking the warrior before her, the desire to throttle him almost irresistible.

0000000000

Adair may not have been looking right at her, but in actuality she had never been out of his sight. His eyes were sharper than a hawk's. He had seen her dive beneath the water, guessed that she was attempting another feeble escape, and followed her faint silhouette under the water upstream until she had finally resurfaced, keeping himself hidden in the trees until she came ashore.

Rebecca cursed, chattered her teeth and threw the odd punch and kick on her keeper's shoulder and back, to try and get away, but he made no sign of even feeling them. He simply threw her over his shoulder, like some hunted game, and carried her back to camp.

When they eventually got there, Firenze was already there at the hut, waiting for them. He gave them a puzzled look, as he eyed Adair carrying her and she soaking wet. "Problem at the river?" he asked.

She just gave him a dirty look that seemed to say, "Don't ask!"

Adair merely laughed at her and her situation, slapping her briefly on her back. "I like a Breeder with spunk!" he said. "Once you've gotten yourself warmed and dried off, come see me and we'll make a date!"

"I'll take over from here," Firenze said hurriedly, not wanting him to say anything more. He helped her to her feet, slightly rushing her to the hut, and away from Adair. Fortunately, she was so cold that she hadn't been paying any attention to her _guardian_ or his words, so she still suspected nothing.

"Here," Firenze offered, as he led her into the hut and picked up some skins left on the ground. "Dry yourself with these."

Rebecca gratefully took the skins from him, and began drying herself. They smelled a bit odd, but at least they were dry and warm. Adair had brought her clothes with him, leaving them with Firenze while she dried off.

She rubbed the skins over her hide, and was so busy drying herself that she didn't notice how Firenze had then moved up close to her, until he was less than an inch away from her face, or how he then wrapped his muscular arms around her, embracing her tightly to his chest so that she could hear his heart beating away its own warrior drumbeat.

At first, all she could do was stand there looking flabbergasted, trapped in a firm embrace with the Centaur, but after a few moments she finally got hold of herself and began shouting. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

She slapped at Firenze's arms until he released her. He took a few steps backward, looking bewildered. "What is wrong?" he asked her.

"What do you mean what's wrong?" she demanded in outrage. "How dare you touch me like that! It's bad enough that I have to deal with the rest of your kind out there, those that hate me and enjoy making fun out of me, but now I have to put up with you trying to make a come-on, too!"

Firenze seemed shocked, as he raised his hands in a futile calming gesture, but Rebecca would have none of it.

"Get out!" she screeched. "Get out and don't come back in here again!"

"But, Rebecca, I…"

"That's _Miss Leicester_ to you!" she bellowed. Firenze looked as if he were about to say something further, but in the end he sighed and turned around, heading out the hut.

She stood there for a few moments, seething in anger. Since arriving here, she had been forced to baby-sit a bunch of foals, deal with a bunch of various male chauvinist horses (normally she'd say pigs, but that name didn't really work with Centaurs), endure countless insults because she was a human, get soaked, frozen, eat spiders, and now have Firenze make a move on her.

"Hey!" Adair's loud voice called through the hut's skin. "You dry yet? Safyph wants you back with the foals at once!"

"I'm coming!" she replied through clenched teeth. And to top it all off, she still had to deal with that big brute Adair!

She quickly finished drying herself and hurried to put her clothes back on, before she practically ran outside to where Adair was waiting for her. She knew better than to keep him waiting, something that her aching shoulder, where he had shot her with his arrow, could attest to. She didn't want to tempt fate twice by making him anger.

She was soon back with the Centaur elder, as the foals gathered around him, listening keenly as he showed them the use of a bow and arrow.

"Good of you to return, Miss Rebecca," Safyph greeted her politely, but with a hard edge to his voice. "I will be instructing the foals in archery, so just stand by for now. When we begin teaching the young ones how to hold their bows, you will assist them."

Rebecca nodded, dreading what this lesson was going to bring.

Safyph continued with the lesson, instructing the foals on the proper stance and pose a Centaur archer had to have when holding a bow and targeting his prey.

Adair stood not too far away, eyeing the lesson with interest. He smiled briefly a few times, and nearly laughed when some of the foals tried holding the large bows, but with little success. Most of them kept dropping them, or held the thin rope too loosely.

It took them a while, but gradually they seemed to get the hang of it, as they practised with their bows until they got used to holding them, and to the feel of the tight rope in their hands.

"That's good," Safyph praised them. "Now, take out your arrows, draw them back with the rope… Rebecca?" he called out to her.

Rebecca looked over and noticed that the elder was carrying something with him. When she saw what it was, she gulped.

"Put this on over yourself," he said, throwing her the hide of an elk, and pointed over towards the woods. "Then go over there and get ready to run… The foals need something to shoot at."

'Ahhh, nuts…!'

To Be Continued… 


	5. Chapter 5

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JFK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_**This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'!**_

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**Herding Ground; 1200PM: **

Rebecca groaned, as she walked back over to her hut. Half of the day had now gone, so the foals were busy having lunch, giving her a breather from being shot at what felt like several hundred times for the last hour.

She hadn't really been hurt though, thankfully, for the arrows that they had been using had no arrowheads on them, just small stuffed balls of cloth. The foals weren't allowed to use real arrows until they were a little older.

"Praise the lord for small miracles," she muttered, walking into the hut, and stopped.

Firenze stood in the middle of the hut, seemingly waiting for her, as he stared at her impassively. "May we talk?" he said gently.

"What do you want?" she simply replied, as she walked past him, grabbing some berries from one of the buckets.

"To talk, to explain myself for my earlier action, and to give you something."

"I've had all the gifts I can handle today," she moaned, rubbing her shoulder and sneezing.

"May I speak anyway?"

Rebecca just looked up at him, but finally sighed and waved her hand at him to get on with it.

"First of all, I'd like to apologise for embracing you earlier…"

"Oh really?" she said, chewing on a small nut. "Were you hoping to get a little something more out of it, too?"

Firenze looked hard at her. "Please let me finish!" he spoke with an edge to his voice, eyeing her almost dangerously. The look in his eyes made him appear almost as dark as the Centaur Bane for a moment, making her snap her mouth shut.

"The reason why I held you like that," he explained, "was simply to share my body-heat with you. You were frozen from being in the water for too long, so I was merely trying to raise your body temperature before you passed out."

She blinked a few times. "Oh…"

"I assure you that I would have, and have done, the same thing for any of my fellow Centaurs. Even we feel the cold sometimes, and often many of us huddle together to restore lost heat. That is the only reason I did what I did. Do you understand?"

She understood, and she felt her ears beginning to burn with embarrassment, as she stood with her head hutched between her shoulders like an owl. She had been with the Centaurs for over a day now, so she knew they viewed some things such as sex and personal space a lot differently than humans did. She should have realised that.

"I also brought you something," he then added, and reached over to something that was lying in another corner of the hut. He retrieved it and handed it over to her.

She stood still for a moment before cautiously taking whatever it was that he had. It was wrapped in brown parcel paper, so she had to tear it off to reveal what was inside, which turned out to be a pad of plain paper and a few pencils that she had asked him for earlier.

"I went to see an old friend today," Firenze told her. "That's where I was this morning. His name is Hagrid. He got me all that you asked for."

In truth, Firenze had had to lie to Hagrid a little, telling him that he required the writing materials to record his herd's findings, and that they couldn't use the traditional quill, like the students at Hogwarts used, as they had no ink and the herd did not want to keep coming back, asking for refills all the time. It had taken Hagrid a while, but he had gone into town and bought the materials needed.

Rebecca was starting to feel ill, but not in a sick kind of way. This type of illness was one of the heart, where she knew she had done wrong to one who could only be a good friend.

"Once again I apologise for however I might have offended you," he said and made to leave the hut, but was instantly stopped by her.

"Firenze," she started. "Look, I'm… I'm sorry, okay? Maybe I shouldn't have acted so violently towards you, but… " She paused, frowning as she tried to figure out what to say. "You see, where I come from, when a man makes a move like that onto a woman, it's usually because he's trying to come onto her."

"Come onto them?" Firenze said, looking at her with a confused expression.

"Umm, come onto, as in romance," she tried to explain. "Ask them out on a date, declare their feelings for one another."

"Oh, you mean take them as their mate!"

She shrugged. "Well, maybe not quite as much as that, but close enough."

"Well, like I said," Firenze explained. "The only desire I had at the time was to help keep you warm. I had no other feelings, and even if I did, I would have made them clearer than a mere hug could."

What he said just then made Rebecca curious about something. "How exactly does your kind go about…_courting_, anyway?"

"Courting?"

"Yeah, as in taking a mate or finding one?"

Firenze just shrugged his masculine shoulders at her. "I want one, I take one."

A few moments of silence past before Rebecca then asked, "And?"

"And what?"

"And what do you do about courting a mate? Do you send them flowers, write poetry or anything?"

Firenze seemed honestly confused at her questions, as he stared at her blankly.

"Weeeell…say you had a crush on me," she said, pointing at herself. "What would you do to take me as your mate?"

Firenze seemed a little disconcerted at the current topic of her questioning for some reason, or more precisely by her using herself as an example, but he answered her question directly, nonetheless. "I would mount you right here and now, so that we could try for a foal."

The stillness that emitted after Firenze's last sentence was so quiet that one might have been able to hear an ant crawl on the ground below them, as Rebecca stared at Firenze in utter silence, her eyes looking ready to pop out.

"You would…_mount_ them?"

Firenze tilted his head at her, but nodded. "Of course," he replied, answering as though what he was saying was the most natural thing in the world. "When we desire someone, we do not wait. We take them immediately before any of the others can do so. There are not many Centaurs in my herd, you understand?"

She just nodded meekly. 'And to think my mother always used to say romance was dead in the world,' she thought. 'She should try giving this place a visit. These beasts have yet to even discover romance.'

Firenze bowed shortly before her. "Once again, I apologise. I hope this one incident will not tarnish our friendship, dear Rebecca."

She shook her head. "Of course not, Firenze," she replied calmly. "Oh, and thanks for the paper and pencils. They're just what I wanted."

"Mind if I ask what it is you want them for?" the Centaur asked, gazing at them thoughtfully.

Rebecca shrugged. "Just thought I might do a bit of sketching to help pass the time."

"Sketching?"

"Yes, I…" she stopped then, as she stared keenly at Firenze with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"Firenze," she asked again. "Would you mind doing me another big favour, if you're not too busy?"

0000000000

**Half An Hour Later: **

Firenze felt mildly ridiculous, as he stood in front of the river with his chest sticking out seemingly in pride, gazing over the shimmering water.

"Thanks again for doing this, Firenze," Rebecca said without lifting her head to look at him, as she dabbled and drew on her pad of paper.

"Just what is it that I'm supposed to be doing?" he asked, irritated.

"I told you, I just want to capture your image on paper. I like sketching. It helps me relax, and, no offence, but after coming here to your neck of the woods, I could use all the relaxation I can get."

"I'm beginning to get a cramp in my back hoof, you know."

"Just hold on for a few more minutes, I'm almost done."

While she continued running her pencil over the sheet of paper, Firenze chewed his lower lip in frustration, but his frustration was not about his posing for her. It was about his cowardice.

He had had numerous opportunities that day to reveal to the young human what was in store for her at the end of the next day, and he had yet to even attempt to tell her. His cowardice cast a shadow upon him. He was furious with himself for his lack of courage, for the lack of decency, and he hated the fact that he was unable to prevent anything that was to come.

He knew his herd would never change their minds, least of all Magorian. They wouldn't even stop to consider the type of pain they would be putting this young human through. Hades, they truly believed that what was planned for her was an honour! After all, in their minds, who wouldn't want the chance to take part in preserving the noble Centaur race?

Firenze knew he had to tell her. Time was running out, and he certainly didn't want her to find out on the actual evening, when his herd took her out into The Circle to be _bred_.

He had tried talking to Magorian earlier, to try and convince him that if they were going to go ahead with the mating, then could they at least do it somewhere more private, where it would be less stressful for her. But once again, he would not waver. All mating ceremonies within their herd had always been performed within the sanctity of The Circle, in full view of the herd, so that they might bless the mating together, in hopes that the Gods would hear their prayers and a healthy foal would be conceived.

It was another old tradition of theirs, one that had never been abandoned.

"Done!" Rebecca called out, startling Firenze out of his reverie. She came over to him, as he flexed his tight muscles, stretching the knots out of them from standing still for so long.

"How do you like it?" she asked, handing him the pad.

He looked at the picture that she had done, and was pleasantly surprised. "Impressive," he said honestly. She had done a lifelike sketch of him, staring out over the river, the details sharp and clear. "_Very_ impressive."

She beamed at his praise. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

"Why?" he looked at her curiously. "Does my opinion mean that much to you?"

"Partly," she admitted. "But also because… Well, let's just say I don't get nearly as much good feedback on my sketching as I would like."

"Why is that?"

She shrugged. "Sketching was never meant to be part of my future. Maybe as a hobbie, but never anything more than that."

Firenze cocked his head at her in interest. "Your future was already known? Do those of your family listen to the stars as well, or are they Seers?"

"No, nothing like that," she said, sighing. "From the moment I was born, everything in my life was planned. My parents wanted me to have the best of everything, just as they had had, and they wanted me to continue having the best of everything even after I grew up."

"I don't understand."

"Literally everything in my life was thought out," she explained. "From early childhood, I received private tutoring in subjects such as biology, physics, chemistry, maths and English literature. My parents wanted to ensure that I would do well in those subjects best of all."

"Why?"

"Because good grades for those subjects are critical for students who wish to study medicine, to become a doctor."

Firenze nodded politely, though he had a little trouble understanding, as he didn't even know what _physics_ and _chemistry_ were.

"Then, of course, I was sent to the best school," she continued. "My subjects were carefully chosen for me, and I'm proud to say that I achieved some of the highest grades my school had seen in years. I did everything my parents set out for me to do, and I passed them with flying colours. And come this September, I was supposed to be going to either Oxford or Cambridge University to study medicine and become a doctor, just as they always wanted."

"And this is what you want?" Firenze asked, while also wondering what a grade was.

"Why wouldn't I?" she replied in a carefree tone. "To be a doctor is one of the greatest careers this world has to offer. My father always says there will never be enough doctors on the planet, so you need never fear to be out of work. It gives you respect from others, you can help people, excellent pay and…"

"And is it what _you_ want?" Firenze repeated his question.

Rebecca opened her mouth to speak, but this time she kept silent, as she pondered his words.

"Forgive me if this sounds indelicate," he added. "But up until now, you've been talking about what your parents have wanted for you, but nothing about what you want. So I ask you again…do _you_ want to become a doctor? Not your parents, but _you_."

She stood there for a moment, still clutching the pencil that she had been drawing with, her mind a complete blank, as she tried to think up an answer. "I… I…" she stuttered. "I…don't know."

He cocked his eyebrow at her. "Don't know? Or don't want to admit?"

Her cheeks went slightly red, as she glared at him. "What do you mean? What have I got to admit?"

"Maybe that you don't want the path that your parents have chosen for you," he explained. "Maybe that you don't want to have a career in medicine, and maybe, just maybe, you want to follow a whole different path in your life?"

Rebecca looked flustered, and still she had nothing to say.

"As a Centaur, I know all about looking to the future, trying to control things that are yet to happen. In the past, many of my kind attempted to control Fate with the knowledge of the future they possessed." He sighed. "But all they did was discover that although we may be able to predict certain events to be, that does not mean we can control them. The stars are the maps of destiny, and destiny alone guides all of us, whether we are being or beast."

"What are you getting at?"

Firenze came closer to her, his large hand resting on her shoulder. "What I'm getting at," he told her, "is that although your sires may have chosen your path for you, it does not mean you have to take it. You are in control of your own destiny, Rebecca, no matter what anyone else says."

She snorted. "I'm not exactly in much control now though, am I?" she said, indicating her current imprisonment in the Centaur herd.

"Were you ever?" he couldn't resist saying, and Rebecca had no answer to that either. "Don't lose heart though. Fate has a way of making things right, no matter what."

"Forgive me if I'm not too optimistic," she replied dryly.

Firenze sighed again, knowing he had stalled long enough. "Rebecca," he began. "There is no easy way for me to say this, but I have to tell you something very important."

"What?" She looked curiously at him.

"Well…I…"

"_Hey, Breeder!"_ a loud and obnoxious voice then suddenly called out to them.

Firenze cursed, and looked over to see none other than Adair and a group of other young Centaurs heading over towards them. 'It would appear that Tyche, the Goddess of Luck, is not with me today,' he thought.

"Trying to work your way in with her, eh, Firenze?" a slurred voice called out to him.

The voice turned out to belong to none other than the same dark golden Centaur who had started the game of _Catch_ with Rebecca last night. He laughed, as he staggered towards them with the others of his group, and from the way he was moving, and the strong scent of wine that reached Firenze's nostrils, it was obvious that he had been drinking.

The dark golden Centaur was called Agrippas; an old Greek name that stood for _wild horse_, which he well lived up to. He was a known lover of the drink; often consuming too much for his own good sometimes, resulting in him having a wild time everywhere he went.

It wasn't unusual for so many Centaurs to live up to their names, as whenever one was born, the path of their life was read from the stars, which gave the herd some idea of what to name them. Firenze's own name meant _flower_ or _blossom_. It was a soft name, and viewed as weak, which the elders had given to him because they had foreseen that, unlike the rest of the herd, he would not grow up to be as fierce a warrior as they.

Firenze was a Hungarian name, not Greek or British, as one would expect. Before settling in the Forbidden Forest, the Centaur race had travelled across endless lands, and picked up various names during their journeys.

"A little early to be enjoying the nectar, even for you, is it not, brother?" Firenze asked him wryly.

Agrippas just laughed, ignoring his comment. "Always knew you were just making friendly with her so that you could get inside those garments she wears," he said, eliciting a roar of laughter from the others.

If not for all the hair on his face, Firenze would be all red by now, as he glared daggers at his brother. "Adair!" he hissed at Rebecca's would-be protector, but he merely stood by, watching the scene unfold.

Rebecca's face was also all red, but with embarrassment. She didn't believe what this Agrippas was saying, not after the long talk she and Firenze had recently had. She just assumed he was making fun out of him.

"Hey, no need to get enflamed, brother," Agrippas told him. "We've all been working the same trick, but I have to tell you that your talents are well wasted."

Firenze knew he should get Rebecca away before any of them said something that would reveal all that he had been trying to tell her in the first place, but the drunken oaf's last words made him ask, "What do you mean?" before he could think to be silent.

Adair shrugged, and answered the younger Centaur's question for him. "Seems all your waiting and flirting has been for nothing, Firenze. Magorian has decided that in the end he shall be the first one to take the young Breeder here."

Firenze's eyes widened.

"Guess it should come as no surprise," Adair admitted. "After all, he is our leader and he was the one who first lay claim to her in the name of our herd, thus he has the right to take her. But damn, I would have really given her my all come tomorrow night! I only hope Magorian puts on a good show for the rest of us."

They had all seemingly forgotten that Rebecca was there, as she listened into their conversation, her own eyes widening with each of their words. 'Claim…get inside her…tomorrow…take her…_Breeder?_!'

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" she finally screamed, demanding to know what it was they were saying.

The Centaurs all looked at her, as though noticing her for the first time, but none seemed too bothered, with the exception of Adair. He grinned at her, looking close to laughing, as though she were the butt of somebody's joke.

"So you never told her then, huh?" he said, speaking to Firenze. "Figured you wouldn't have the guts to tell her. You always had too soft a heart, you."

"Adair!" Firenze warned, but the look that Rebecca threw his way silenced him.

"Tell me _what_?" she demanded again.

Adair scoffed. "Oh come now, human! You're surely not that slow, are you? Why do you think we wanted you to remain with us in the first place?"

"Because you feared I would tell people of your herd!"

Adair and all the gathered Centaurs, minus Firenze, all burst into loud and raucous laughter.

"Come now!" Adair chuckled. "Do you really think we Centaurs would actually fear something like that? Even before we settled here in the Dark Forest, we had been hiding in plain sight of you humans for thousands of years! Throughout that time, there had been many a human who stumbled upon our kind, and many more who tried to hunt us down, but never succeeded! Our foresight from the stars tells us of all impending danger, and we've long since mastered the art of what you humans call camouflage and invisibility. Those we couldn't hide from, we either fought them or simply left for a new home. There is nothing of a threat from you!"

"But…" Rebecca stuttered. "Then why?"

The Centaur-archer just laughed again. "Why'd you think? Tell me, if we were all humans and we wanted you, the only female, to remain with us, what do you think would be the reason?"

Rebecca just continued to look shocked, as she stood still, but kept her distance well away from all of them, including Firenze. "But… I've been…"

Firenze looked on helplessly. There was no use hiding from it now, as Adair had told her everything.

"We would have taken you right away if we could," Adair snorted seemingly in disgust. "But our leader, Magorian, said we were to wait a few days. Firenze here convinced him it was to give you time to adjust, so he agreed, but in the end he decided that tomorrow night was able time enough."

She turned to stare at Firenze, waiting for him to deny what Adair was saying, but all he did was look back at her, his expression full of sorrow and regret.

Adair smirked at her and said, "Better get your rest, wench, because Magorian is known to be one of the most stamina filled warriors of our herd, particularly when it comes to what you humans call…_the bed-chamber_! He'll no doubt keep you up for many an hour, come tomorrow. Which should be fun for us all to watch!" He elbowed one of the other Centaurs beside him, causing them all to laugh out loud.

She took no notice of all their shouts and laughter, as she was too preoccupied with her own inner thoughts and emotions. "Firenze…" she said again, looking to him for confirmation. His silence was all the answer she needed.

_Mate_…they were going to mate with her? That was rape! Didn't they know that?

But judging by the way they were laughing and joking amongst themselves, she had the strongest feeling that they did, and couldn't care in the slightest.

She turned to Firenze again, her eyes filled with tears and glaring straight at him. "When were you planning on telling me this?" she hissed, seething with rage. "When? On my _wedding night_?"

Firenze looked helplessly at her, while at the same time still cursing his brothers for interrupting them and telling Rebecca all before he had had the chance. "I was going to," he tried, but she wasn't listening.

"This was planned from the start, wasn't it?" she screamed at him. "All this time, you were pretending to be my friend, while all along you were just making nice in hopes that I would willingly invite you into my bed!"

"No, that's not it at all!" Firenze insisted, taking a step forward, but Rebecca took an instant step back away from him.

"Stay away!" she yelled.

Adair and the others seemed to find this whole scene amusing, as they sniggered at Firenze and Rebecca. "Seems our pet human is nervous about tomorrow night," Agrippas said, smirking. "Mayhap we should help her out by giving her a little taste of what's to come tomorrow?"

Saying that, he strode forward with his hands outstretched, his fingers wriggling as they reached for the small human.

Rebecca shrieked, as he came near her, but Firenze was quick to her side. "Stay away from her!" he demanded, stepping in front of his friend.

Agrippas' eyes seemed to burn right through Firenze's own, as the younger Centaur stood between him and the human he wanted to torment.

The others had started out following Agrippas, to join in the fun, but now they were staying out of the way. It was well known that when a Centaur made a demand or rose up against another of their kind, to keep them from something they desired, it was a challenge, plain and simple. Firenze had stood up to Agrippas, intending to keep him away from the human, and that could only mean one thing now.

_Fight! _

Agrippas roared, rising on his hind legs and kicking out his front hooves, as he shook his head from side to side, like a horse did when enraged. He charged at Firenze full forward, his fists clenched and his face wild with a savage fury.

With the challenge made and accepted, Firenze responded by meeting Agrippas head on, charging at him. Everyone else stayed clear out of the fight, Rebecca because she was still too shocked and scared to think straight, and the other Centaurs because it was forbidden for anyone else to intervene in another's duel.

Firenze charged into Agrippas, hitting his opponent's face with his fists, neighing louder than a true stallion. Agrippas' reply was to once more rise up on his hind legs, kicking out with his front ones. His hooves narrowly missed Firenze's face, and the younger Centaur quickly responded with the same move. Soon, both of the fronts of the Centaur's bodies were up in the air, their legs and hooves kicking at each other wildly.

Rebecca could do nothing except stand by and watch the frightening scene unfold, her heart racing. The rest of the Centaurs seemed to have no expressions upon their faces, as they watched the duel.

As Firenze's hooves kicked out at the golden Centaur, he slammed his fist forward, right into Agrippas' jaw. The larger Centaur gave a bellow of pain, losing his footing, as he stumbled back and nearly fell onto his side. He had no time to recover though, as his opponent instantly ran at him, punching him again, neighing loudly.

Agrippas was large, strong and not easy to hurt, but Firenze was quicker and more agile. He was also known for using his head more so than the rest of the herd. He calculated each move as efficiently as he could, striking hard and fast. His smaller size also gave him a tactical advantage, as Agrippas had to keep looking down almost constantly to see where to strike, which allowed Firenze to keep out of his view long enough to deliver his own.

They went on like this for about ten minutes, each one's attack more brutal than the one before, as they fought with ruthless and relentless intensity. By the end, both of them looked as though they had each gone through a war zone, their bodies beaten and bloody. Finally, as they each struck with their hooves yet again, Firenze was able to strike with both hooves and fists, connecting solidly with Agrippas' skull and stomach.

The kick from Firenze's hoof to his stomach, where he was human, had robbed Agrippas of his breath, and the punch to the skull had finally made him reach his limit, as he groaned and sank to the ground, unconscious.

Firenze stood shakily on his legs, his face swollen and bleeding. There wasn't a single part of him that looked untouched from the fight, yet despite his obvious pain he limped away from his fallen opponent, his head held high in pride.

He staggered over to Rebecca, ignoring Adair and the others who had gone to check on their fallen brother, and looked her in the eye. "Please," he said hoarsely. "Allow me a further moment of your time, and talk with me?"

There wasn't anything she wanted less to do, as her instincts were still telling her to run as fast and as far as she could from this crazy forest and its barmy creatures, but try as she might, she could not tear her eyes away from Firenze's bleeding wounds, and knowing that he had gone through all this for her. So, against her better judgement, she slowly nodded her head and said, "All right."

0000000000

A few hours passed. They had gone down to the river where they were even now bathing Firenze's wounds in the cold water, its freezing temperature soothing them, bringing the swelling down a little.

Normally, she would be feeling sorry and concerned for his well being, but right now she had her own problems to worry about. "Was what they were saying true?" she demanded, speaking about what Adair and Agrippas had said.

Firenze looked downtrodden and miserable, and it was most likely not just about his injuries either, as he nodded his head in confirmation. And that only served to fuel Rebecca's fear and misery.

"You're going to rape me?" she said hysterically.

He didn't know the meaning of the word _rape_, but he guessed that it had something to do with what they were planning for her. "I am truly sorry, Rebecca," he said honestly. "For what it's worth, I never wanted any of this to happen. My first and only choice was to have you sent home."

"So why didn't you?" she half-screamed.

He sighed. "Because I was over-ruled," he admitted. "It wasn't my choice, Rebecca. The night when you came, the whole herd had a tribunal where we discussed what was to become of you. I suggested taking you home, but in the end it was decided that you were more useful to us here."

"As a whore to your brothers! I think not!"

"No, not as a mere wench," he explained firmly, though personally he didn't see that much difference. "You mean a whole lot more to my herd than just that." He groaned, stroking the beard around his face, wondering how to better explain this. "You must try to understand, our numbers are and have always been so few. There are less than fifty Centaurs in our herd, and very few of them are Breeders. Most are all just straight males like I, which makes breeding very hard."

"So what? I'm like the answer to all your prayers then!"

"What I am saying is that you are the only female human that has come into my herd in thousands of years," Firenze said. "In the past, our ancestors mated with humans, and as a result our population was very high. I suppose my brothers believe that with you they have a chance of restoring some of our herd's original numbers."

"Well, you can forget about it!" she half-snarled. "Nothing, and I do mean _nothing_, will ever make me willingly get down and spread my legs for one of you!"

Firenze felt worse with what he said next. "That's just it though… My herd don't expect you to be willing, and…" he added quietly, "…they don't care."

Rebecca's eyes seemed to flare with anger, but Firenze could see the unmistakable look of fear within them, too.

"This can't be happening," she said quietly, pacing back and forth like a trapped lioness. "This just can't… You, Firenze!" She suddenly came forth to him, holding his arms with her hands, squeezing tightly. "You can help me!" she pleaded with him. "You said you were my friend and that you wanted me to go home, so you can help me, can't you!"

He looked at her sadly. "I want to, my friend, believe me," he replied. "But I can't."

"Why?"

Firenze gave another deep sigh, as he held out his chest with as much dignity as he could muster. "Because the decision has been made, the tribunal past. Not just one Centaur warrior, but the whole herd came together, we discussed what was to be done, and in the end we made our choice. Although I do not like the choice they made, it was made nonetheless, and as a Centaur warrior I am sworn to serve my herd and obey its laws regardless."

"Even at my expense?" she swore, staring at him open-mouthed.

Firenze looked away for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "If need be," he said finally, "yes."

The look she gave him then did more damage than any arrow or sword ever could.

"I am sorry," he apologised again. "But as warriors we are sworn to uphold our word and our allegiance to our herd. If I were to help you escape, then I would be turning against my own kind. To do so would an act of treason and dishonour, and such an act would demand only one answer, and that is eternal exile. And a Centaur with no herd, is no Centaur at all."

"I don't care about your herd or your laws or any of that!" Rebecca screamed. "What do any of them matter compared to what you're planning to do to…" She paused, as thoughts of hysteria ran through her mind. She thought about tomorrow night, when it would happen, and if she would survive. Centaurs were part horses, and horses were anatomically way bigger than humans. Was such a thing possible?

She felt like hyperventilating, an action that did not go unnoticed by Firenze. "Rebecca, please, you must keep calm…"

"Keep calm? KEEP CALM?" she screeched. "After you've told me that come tomorrow night I'm going to get laid down and mounted like a Mare! How am I supposed to keep calm?"

He tried to approach her, holding his arms out comfortingly.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled. "Just…stay away." With that, she turned and ran back to the campsite, heading straight to her hut, leaving a distressed and torn Firenze behind in her wake.

0000000000

She had spent the remainder of the day in her hut, her face buried in her arms, in the dirt, crying her eyes out. Safyph had made no attempt to come get her. Whether this was because he knew what had transpired, he thought she deserved some rest, or that he just didn't want her there, was unclear.

She heard the voices of the Centaurs, as they went about their business outside her hut. None spoke of her, but that was fine, as she wasn't sure she would like to hear what they would say about her, after what the one called Agrippas had said.

The tears had finally ceased to leak from her eyes, mainly because she had cried so much that she wasn't sure that she had any left. She just lay where she was, on the dirt-floor of her hut, her eyes staring out into nothingness. Her mind kept coming back to what awaited her the next day.

'Will he take me here?' she thought, wondering if the Centaur leader, Magorian, would come and make her his in this small hut. 'No, Agrippas said that it was to be done in public.' She shuddered in revulsion. 'Firenze said they prefer to be called beasts. Now I can see why, because that's all they are.'

So consumed was she with her thoughts that she did not hear the small trotting of little hoof-steps coming towards her hut. She didn't even hear the skin-door being moved back to let someone in.

"Hello?" a young voice asked, making her jump slightly. She got up and turned around to see one of the foals looking at her. It was the same one who had asked her some questions about her race, the Palomino coloured one.

"What are you doing here?" she said, wiping her eyes to clear some of the dried tears from her face.

The foal shrugged his little shoulders. "You weren't at afternoon lessons?"

Rebecca gave a half-smirk. "Didn't feel much like having arrows shot at me again," she said bitterly.

The foal cocked his head at her. "Are you sick? What's wrong with your face?"

She cursed, having thought that she had wiped her face thoroughly enough. She definitely had no love for the Centaurs as a whole, but she couldn't bring herself to be mean to a child, even if his folks were planning to get her knocked up.

"I'm fine," she said assuredly. "Just got a little dust in my face. So, did you learn anything exciting to… Say, by the way, what's your name? You never did tell me."

The foal smiled. "My name is Ash, like the tree," he replied. "It stands for happiness, because the elders foresaw that I will bring a lot of that to many of my herd."

"How nice," she said honestly. "Bringing joy to others is always a precious gift." She paused slightly. 'Depending on _how_ you bring happiness to them, I suppose,' she added mentally.

Ash nodded, and then held something out for her. "I brought this for you."

She looked down and saw that he had a flower with him, a yellow rose, her favourite flower. "Oh, thank you," she said pleasantly surprised. She hadn't seen any roses in this forest, nor did she think there would even be any at this time of year. "This is so sweet."

She wondered how he had known that yellow roses were her favourite anyway. Then again, all these Centaurs, their young included, seemed to know a lot more than they let on.

Ash smiled.

"_What are you doing here?"_ a firm but gentle voice said. The voice was that of Adair again, as he stood at the entrance to the hut, holding the skin back with his hand, looking in curiously at the foal.

Ash bowed his head in respect to his elder. "I was just talking to the human, Adair."

"Shouldn't you be with the rest of your siblings?" he said, slightly scolding the youngster.

Ash sighed. "Yes, my elder." He turned back to Rebecca for a moment, bowing his head. "Until tomorrow, my friend." With that, he turned and trotted out of the hut.

Adair watched him go, smiling. "He is a fine foal, that one," he told her. "Full of spirit, as all Centaurs are, but also with full of laughter. He'll make a fine warrior someday." He turned back to her. "Just imagine, human. By this time next year, you could very well have such a foal wandering by your side, yourself!"

Such words, when spoken by a human, usually brought comfort and joy to people that often thought about having children someday. But when this Centaur spoke it, all it did was bring her fear and apprehension.

'He's trying to goad me into consenting to have a child with the lot of them,' she thought bitterly. 'He thinks that if I get on well with their children, I'd be more open to the thought of having one myself.'

She didn't say anything to him directly, but she gave him a hard look that seemed to tell him plenty. He gave a snort, like an ordinary horse, and shifted his weight on his hooves. "The evening meal is almost ready," he told her sharply. "Be sure to get out here on time and have your fill! You're no good to us as skin and bones!" He then turned around, his tail held high, as he trotted out the hut.

'Yeah, no good to you at all,' she thought, panicking. "I'll be no good because you would like someone and something to grab hold of, wouldn't you? That's what you're going to do tomorrow after all. Come and take me, grab whatever you can, and then hand me over to your leader who will go and take that big thing of his and shove it right into… '

She couldn't take it any longer. Her thoughts were in a jumble, her sense of reason gone, as she jumped over to the far side of the hut and began digging. The skins of the hut had been nailed down hard into the ground, so there was no way she could pull them out without anyone hearing. She would have to dig a short way beneath the skin, just enough for her to crawl through and out of there.

She wasted no time, hurrying to dig her way out, for once not caring if her nails got dirty or even broken. Fortunately, she didn't have to dig very far, as the dirt was loose and came away in their hands easily enough. It wasn't long before she was crawling fast under the skin of the hut and outside to the back where none of the Centaurs were, as they were all no doubt having their dinner.

She knew Adair would undoubtedly still be at the front of the hut, waiting for her, so she had to hurry. His senses were almost unnaturally sharp and sensitive, and for all she knew he could very well be onto her now. She had to move fast!

Scrambling to get out of the hut, spitting some dirt out of her mouth while she did so, she hurried to get to the left side of the hut, away from any passer's notice. She listened keenly for any sound of Adair or the others, and was not disappointed, sadly, when she heard his voice come not too soon after.

"What's keeping you in there?" his frustrated voice called from the front, and she heard the sound of the hut's entrance being pulled open again.

Not waiting another second, she ran into the forest.

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She ran with the same anxiety that she had had the night that giant spider had pursued her into this very forest. Her breath caught in her throat, but she ignored the searing flame building up within her chest, as she ran.

She couldn't see where she was going, but then she wouldn't know where she was going even if she could. She just ran on blindly through the woods, slapping one branch after another away from her face.

As she ran, she heard the unmistakable sound she had been dreading for the past minute. The sound of hooves, together with the half human scream and half horse's neigh sound…the cry of a Centaur hunter.

Adair was coming!

"Where are you, you little mouse?" his loud voice cut through the forest, louder than a foghorn.

She knew she couldn't keep hiding from him for long. His uncanny eyesight and sense of smell were worse than a whole pack of bloodhounds. But if she could make it to the river again, she might have a chance. She didn't fancy jumping into that ice-cold water again, especially not at night, but the water would hide her scent and make it harder for Adair to track her. The last time, he had had the advantage of the daylight to help in locating, but now the darkness of the night would help hide her further.

The thundering hoof-beats of the angry Centaur were getting closer. He was gaining speed with every second. There was no way she could reach the river before he caught up with her. She had to try something to get ahead of him, but what?

Adair's wild cry roared through the night, indicating he was only a few feet away.

Remembering something she had once seen on TV, she ran behind one of the trees up ahead, reached as high as she could and grabbed the thickest branch on it, pulling it back against her, letting her weight do most of the work. She waited until she heard him approaching her, and in the blink of an eye she released the branch.

_[WHACK!] _

"OOF!" Adair's furious voice hissed, as the branch snapped up and back, hitting him square in the stomach. He backed up a couple of steps, rubbing his sore belly, the wind knocked out of him for a moment. Rebecca had hoped to get him in the face, but because of her small height, and his enormous one, she hadn't been able to reach a branch that high.

She wasted no more time and continued running. She didn't run very far, though, before she heard Adair's roar sound through the forest yet again. However hard she had hit him with the branch, it had obviously not been enough. It did gain her a bit of time though, however little, and lengthened the distance between herself and her hunter.

She fled deeper into the woods, but knew she hadn't long to wait. All too soon, Adair was chasing after her again, and Rebecca swore she could almost feel the vibrations of his hooves beating upon the ground. She hadn't felt fear such as this since the spider had been after her.

The river was still too far away for her to reach without Adair catching her, so instead she ran to a tree, hastily climbing its branches as though her life depended upon it. The leaves on it were plentiful, so they should be enough to conceal her. The only problem was the bright colours of her outfit, which made her stand out like a sore thumb. She wished now that she had worn dark clothes like her friend Chloe.

'If I get through this,' she swore to herself, 'I swear I'm going to be wearing nothing but plain black and dark green clothes from now on.'

She held her breath, as Adair came into view, watching him as he circled the earth, his keen nose sniffing in curiosity. His nose soon led him right to the foot of the tree she was in, as he sniffed at it before looking up…right up into her frightened eyes!

Adair grinned. "So there you are, ye little wench," he said, smirking. "Nice try with the tree, but a Centaur's nose is better than any bloodhound. I can find you anywhere you go." He snorted. "You had a better chance with the river. At least then I wouldn't have been able to smell you."

"That's actually where I was heading," she said quietly, but not silent enough for him not to hear her.

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. "I thought the river was not too far from here. Clever plan, human! Pity you weren't fast enough on your feet to get there." He backed up a few paces. "Now come on! I have yet to feast this night, and believe me, you don't want to be around a Centaur when he's hungry!"

'I don't want to be around a Centaur period,' she groused mentally, but kept still and her mouth shut, and when she didn't climb down from the tree, Adair began to get angry.

"Get your two legs down from there, Breeder!" he shouted up to her, calling her by the herd's petname, but still she refused. Her refusal only added to his anger, and he began pawing at the ground in frustration.

Since Centaurs could not climb trees, he knew there was no way he could get up to her, but… He stopped for a moment, thinking. If he could not get _up_ to her, maybe he could get her to come _down_ to him.

Turning around, with his back to the tree, he suddenly flipped his entire backside up into the air, and kicked out with his legs against the bark of the tree with all his strength.

Rebecca squealed, as the tree shuddered with the impact, nearly shaking her loose of its branch. She held on for dear life, as he kicked again, making the tree quake further, this time even more violently.

Adair laughed, as he heard the little human's squeal of fright. "Better hold on, little Breeder!" he yelled to her. "This ride has yet to end!" He kicked out again and again, each time striking the tree with more force until it was starting to feel that it was ready to be forced out by its roots.

Rebecca finally lost her holding, as her feet fell out from under her, on the branch she had been standing on, and held onto the other one with her hands. With Adair's increasingly violent kicks, the shuddering of the bark made it more and more difficult to hold on, until finally…

"YEEARRGHHH!" she screamed, as the branch snapped in her hands, and she felt herself plummet to earth. Just as she expected to hit the ground with an almighty thud and snap, she instead found herself grabbed out of the air by Adair's huge arms.

Adair laughed, as he juggled her, bouncing her from one arm to the other. "Ye just can't stay out of my arms, can you!" he said, laughing.

Despite her twisting and turning, Adair's hands were firmly closed around her, keeping her from escaping. She let a moan escape her, knowing that he would soon be taking her back to the herding ground. She struggled to find a way to escape, but could find none. Swallowing her pride, she tried one last recourse…

"Please let me go," she begged.

Adair snorted. "Little girl, if you think you can…"

"I don't want to be Magorian's Breeder," she suddenly said. "I want to be…_yours_."

Adair blinked in surprise. "Mine?" he asked.

Rebecca nodded, forcing to better compose herself in order to lie more convincingly to her captor. "Yes," she replied. "I have watched you since you were first made my guard. Your skill and strength are unmatched. Truly, you are the finest of the fine. I can not imagine anyone measuring up to you…or anyone more worthy to bear offspring with."

Adair seemed at a loss for words for once, but that moment soon past. For whenever a Centaur was at a loss for words, they chose action instead…

"MMMM!" Rebecca squealed, as Adair locked his lips onto hers, his huge tongue entering her mouth and silencing whatever words she had yet to speak. His free hand soon made its way to her front, exploring her chest.

Rebecca wanted to bite the wretched creature's tongue off with her teeth, break his hand off with a strength she knew she did not possess, and punch the living daylights out of him. But as strong as those feelings were inside of her, she knew she could not…. Not if she were to convince him of her sincerity long enough for her to escape.

She forced back the tears in her eyes, as well as the bile threatening to expel from her stomach, as Adair continue his kiss, the rumbling in his chest revealing the pleasure he got out of this. Soon he was finished, as he snapped his head back, finishing his kiss as quickly as he had started it.

"Any male, be they human or Centaur, would be foolish to deny such a request from you, little Human!" Adair said, licking his lips as though he were still tasting her.

"Then you'll help me escape?" she said hopefully. "Once we're gone and far away from here, we can be together forever."

"Nay!" Adair said, pawing at the ground again. "Tempting as it is to be your first Breeding partner, human. I am not a warrior without honour. I am sworn to the service of my herd and all its members. And Magorian, like it or not, is our herd's leader." With that, he then tucked her under his arm and started making his way back to the herding ground.

"No! No!" she yelled, kicking her legs and punching her fists at his back, but to no avail. "Don't do this! We can… OHH!" She yelped, as she once again felt the force of a Centaur's hand on her backside.

Adair laughed. "Have no fear though, my fiery little Nymph," he told her, smiling broadly and patting her rump. "When Magorian has gone and had his fun with you…_I'll_ be there at the frontline, ready to be the first for my turn!"

Rebecca screamed, as he galloped back home with her.

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Adair galloped full speed into the herding ground, with Rebecca tucked under his arm. The other Centaurs looked at him curiously, but he replied to them with a laugh.

"Our little Mare seems to think of herself as a squirrel," he told them. "Caught her trying to escape up a tree."

He and the rest of the herd laughed, as she continued struggling in his arms.

"Tough little weasel, ain't you?" he chuckled, and then unceremoniously dropped her at the edge of the campfire. The moment he did, Rebecca was already starting to get up and try to run away yet again.

As if sensing her plan, Adair reached down with his huge hand, gripped her shoulder and pushed her back down. "Don't wanna be missing the meal now, do we?" he said.

She slapped his hand away from her in frustration. "Get away from me!" she seethed. "And let me GO!" She tried once again to push past him, but Adair simply moved his front-legs to the side, blocking her way.

"That ain't gonna happen, sweetheart," he told her simply.

"DON'T CALL ME _SWEETHEART_!" she screamed, earning a few raised heads and curious looks from the other surrounding Centaurs.

Adair thinned his eyes at her. "Have a care, Breeder. I maybe your guard and watcher, but don't think for one moment that I won't retaliate if I see fit."

"My name is Rebecca Leicester!" she insisted. "Not sweetheart, not Mare, and certainly not _Breeder_!"

"_You are whatever we say you are!"_ one Centaur yelled out from somewhere.

"_Aye,"_ another one added. _"Sooner you accept that and your new life here with us, the better!" _

"I will never accept that!" she shouted at them. "I am who I say I am, and I will never rest until I have found a way out of here!"

Her last words made Adair raise his eye-ridges at her. "Oh, is that so, huh?" he said, bemused. "Well then, can't have that now, can we?"

Before she even had a chance to contemplate what he was saying, he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her down onto the ground with a painful thud.

"OW!" she yelped, spitting out some earth that had become lodged in her mouth. She was about to raise herself up, but before she could do that, she felt a great shadow pass over her. She had just enough time to turn her head and look up, before Adair sat on her.

Practically the whole of the herd burst into roaring laughter, as they watched the little human squirm and beat the ground with her fists, trying in vain to get the heavy Centaur off her back.

"Where you gonna go now, eh, _Rebecca_?" Adair said, smirking, as he used her real name for once, and placed more of his weight into his lower half, crushing her into the earth. He had straightened his back-legs, and kept them like that as he lowered his back half onto her. "OI!" he shouted at some of his brothers. "Where's the meat and wine? I'm starving here!"

Rebecca squirmed, struggling to press herself up by her arms, but it was like trying to lift a car off her. The only good thing was that she couldn't see any of the Centaur' jeering faces, as Adair's tail was settled right over her head, blocking her vision of them. But she could hear them.

"_Looks like Adair's got himself a new seat-rug."_

"_That's one way to keep someone under your watch!" _

"_Don't think she'll be doing anymore running tonight!" _

"_Hey, Mare! Don't forget your supper!" _

Someone then threw over some scarps of meat and berries, as they landed on her head and in front of her, in the dirt. This only added to the Centaur' jeers, as she slowly gathered some of the food with her hands, eating them like a dog.

Because of her captor's tail, no one could see her cry.

She remained like that for the rest of the meal, trapped beneath Adair's large posture, seeing nothing but his damned tail, as it occasionally slung around her head, sometimes batting her in the face. Adair, on the other hoof, acted as if she wasn't even there, chatting cheerfully with his brothers, eating his food thoroughly.

When it came time for the herd to rest for the night, Adair finally got up, relieving her of his terrible weight, something for which her aching back was most grateful for. She spared him a glare, but he didn't even seem to notice.

"Better get your rest tonight, Mare," he told her sternly. It seemed _Mare_ was her new nickname now, instead of mere Breeder. "For once the sun sets tomorrow, Magorian will be making you take your new place as one of our herd, _permanently_."

Rebecca didn't shudder, nor did she even reply when Adair grabbed her up by her arms and carried her back to her hut. The simple fact was that she was too exhausted…exhausted and broken.

She had realised then that there was no way for her to escape the Centaur herd. No way at all!

To Be Continued… 


	6. Chapter 6

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JFK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_**This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'!**_

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**Herding Ground;**

**Next Morning; 0600AM:**

She spent most of the night with her thoughts in turmoil, shock and terror over what was to come the next night. When she had finally fallen asleep, it was close to the morning, but even in her dreams she found no solace. She couldn't stop thinking over what was coming once the sun went down.

"_Rebecca?"_ a quiet voice gently urged her awake.

She moaned, as she slowly came to, and widened her eyes more when she saw Firenze standing before her, looking down in concern at her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I came to see if you were well," he simply replied, moving his weight from one hoof to the other.

"Oh just peachy!" she swore at him. "Considering that tonight is gonna be my unofficial wedding night, how do you think I am?"

Firenze sighed. "I am sorry for not telling you earlier," he explained. "I wanted to, but… Well, it's not exactly something you can just blurt out and tell someone."

Rebecca didn't answer. She just lay where she was, looking up at Firenze with tears in her eyes. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked, almost pleaded with him. "Why is your herd forcing me to mate with their leader against my will?"

Firenze looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I should…"

"Tonight I'm going to be violated against my will!" the stated in a matter of fact tone. "The least you can do is tell me _why_?"

Firenze paused for a moment, but finally just nodded. "Let us go for a walk," he told her.

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They walked a short way into the forest, beyond the Herding Ground. A few of the Centaurs spared them a glance, but none talked to or tried to stop them.

Rebecca couldn't see Adair anywhere, but that didn't mean that he wasn't close by. She had long since learnt that that Centaur was a stealthy and crafty devil.

As she and Firenze walked further into the forest, she noticed his face, how thoughtful it looked, as though he were trying to find the right words to speak, but could not do so.

"So are you going to tell me now or what?" she finally asked, disliking the silence more and more with each passing second. "Considering that I'm the one who's going to be married, if you can call it that, I think I deserve the right to know at least why?" She felt herself getting hysterical again, but she forced it down, at least until after Firenze told her what she wanted to know.

He sighed. "As you wish," he said, and indicated her to sit when they came up to a log. Once she had sat down, he started gathering some wood and laying them down on the ground where he began clipping some rocks together. The sparks from them flew, giving light to the dried wood, starting a small fire.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," he began. "Tell me, what do you actually know of my race?"

She shrugged. "Only from what I've read in books or seen in films. You were said to be creatures, part men and part horse, and were said to be a wild and lustful race that attacked people."

He sighed again. "Sadly, that part I'm afraid is fact. Thousands of years ago, my kind walked amongst humans in the land you know as Greece. But back then, my ancestors were not what you'd call _civilised_. They tended to let their animal natures rule them, which often resulted in them being hostile."

Rebecca snorted. "Judging by what I've seen and heard so far, Firenze, they haven't improved much."

Firenze gave her hard look. "Believe me, Rebecca," he told her sternly, "when I say that compared to the way my ancestors were in ancient times, the Centaurs of my herd today are a race of…what I believe you humans call _aristocrats_!"

He watched her, as her face took on a more humble and nervous expression, no doubt wondering and dreading what the Centaurs of ancient times had been like, if the Centaurs of today were more tame and evolved than their ancestors had been.

Firenze prepared to carry on with his story, pausing only briefly to wonder once more what an Aristocrat was? He had heard the word from his friend Hagrid who would go on forever about how the Ministers of Magic were all nothing more than bloated and stuck-up Aristocrats, but never explained what an Aristocrat actually was.

"Watch the smoke," he said, as he reached into a small pouch that he wore at his side, and withdrew his hand that was full of some kind of powder.

'Oh no, not again,' Rebecca thought in dismay, remembering the Divination Ceremony she had gone through.

Firenze tossed the powder into the fire, which made the flames shoot up into the air, as though petrol had been poured on it. It made Rebecca jump slightly, but she did as she was told, keeping her eyes centred on the fumes.

"As I said," Firenze spoke, "my kind are originally from the country you humans call Greece. Our herd had lived there since the time of its conception, where it is said that we were born of the God Centaurus, son of Ixion and Nephele…"

As he spoke, the fumes started to take shape. She watched, as they took on the outline of what looked like a man and a woman made of clouds. Their two forms then blended together to make a single shape, which was that of another man, only to change shape again until it resembled a Centaur.

"Back then, we Centaurs…or the _Kéntauroi_, as we were originally called, had always been a wild and dangerous race of creatures. Let me be clear that I make no denial of that fact! But although little may seem to have changed much in that respect, Rebecca," he said, looking at her face. "Back then, our lust for battle, wine and pleasure had no limits! It had been our only love, and the only thing that counted as our religion was in the worshipping of Dionysus, the God of wine."

The fumes moved into the shape of what looked like a large man with a goblet, with many Centaurs gathered around him, kneeling as though in respect or worship. Rebecca chewed her lower lip, but kept listening.

"In the early chapters of our herd's history," Firenze went on, "our ancestors spent countless generations terrorising the land by raiding villages, slaughtering human males and abducting their women whom they would then bring back to their home to mate with. Although some Centaurs are born physically capable of bearing foals, they had found it easier and…" he paused slightly, "…and more _enjoyable_, to just kidnap and use the human's females as breeders instead."

The shape of the large man with the goblet dissipated, leaving behind only the Centaurs that then started to leap about, as though in a frenzy. Rebecca watched, as more shapes sprouted up from the smoke, taking on the guise of men with spears and women cowering before the Centaurs. The smoke-men attempted to fight the Centaurs, only to be cut down by them, causing them to vanish in a puff. Once they were gone, the Centaurs grabbed the women, their smoke-bodies merging with them before disappearing.

"In those days, whenever a Centaur captured a human female, or anything else that he obtained through battle, he would incite something called The Rite of Claim. The most common circumstance being when a Centaur would kill a human in battle, and then take everything that human had once possessed, including the women in his family, claiming them as his own. But there were also other cases where a Centaur would find someone alone. If she was by herself then that gave the Centaur the right to claim her as his own. He would then take them back to his home, to do with as he pleased, sometimes even sharing them with the whole herd, or simply to mate with and produce foals."

One of the smoke-women returned, along with one of the Centaurs. He grabbed her, carrying her over his shoulder to a large group of other Centaurs that then began to converge on her. Rebecca couldn't see for certain what happened, because of the smoke, but judging from the way the Centaurs jumped and moved about, and the way the woman-figure tried to run, she could guess.

"As a result, our numbers had been _considerably_ larger back then. But as with all acts of tyranny, the Centaur's reign eventually came to an end because of two historic events... The first was the Centaur's neighbours, the horsemen known as the Lapiths, when they finally rebelled. Our savagery and barbarism had grown to be too much for even them to stand, so the Lapiths rose up against them, driving them out in the battle known by all as the _Centauromachy_."

Firenze paused for a moment, looking at her.

"Just for a point of record," he then added. "I know of what humans say of this battle, and let me make one thing clear… I have heard the tales that this battle occurred during a wedding, but that was just pure fiction made by poets and play-writers. It was a plain old battle, nothing else. There was no wedding involved. Centaurs and Lapiths had rarely ever spoken, let alone been invited to the other's festivities."

The smoke grew and swirled, and Rebecca watched as more Centaur shapes took form. She watched them as they faced each other, until she realised that the ones on the other side were actually ordinary human men who were riding on horseback, obviously the Lapiths. The two sides then ran to each other, trading vicious looking blows until they dissipated.

"At the time before this had occurred though," Firenze continued. "One of our own kind, a noble Centaur named Chiron who even today is the most famous Centaur in the entire history of our race, chose to forsake the savage traditions of his herd and learn a new way for them to live. He knew somehow that what he sought was among the stars, and through perseverance and hard work he was able to construct the world's first telescope. He became the world's first star-gazer!"

A lone Centaur of smoke then stood over the fire, holding something that she assumed was the telescope Firenze spoke of, staring up at the sky.

"As he spent years studying the stars, he discovered they had the power to foretell certain events. He could foresee things that would not occur for a number of years, or even centuries, including the Centauromachy. He had tried to warn his fellow Centaurs of the impending danger, but they just laughed at him, calling him a crazed fool."

More Centaurs appeared around the lone one, pointing and apparently laughing at it.

"When the battle came to pass, many of them were killed, leaving fewer than fifty Centaurs. And with the deaths of their leaders, the herds were alone. Chiron had been the one who had warned them of the approaching danger, he was smart and strong, and so they turned to him to lead them. He accepted."

The Centaurs that looked as if they had been laughing at the lone one were now kneeling in front of it, apparently in respect.

"Chiron knew they could not stay in Greece. The hostilities had left too large a scar on our homeland, and a vicious stain on our kind. He knew the Lapiths would never let any of them survive. So, with no choice, he took his brothers and began the search for a new home. He led the founders of our herd into a new age of hope and prosperity, training them in the art of Stargazing. With the aid of the stars they were able to foresee future dangers, allowing them the opportunity to stay one hoof ahead of the humans, keeping themselves hidden and safe at all times. They even forsook Dionysus, choosing instead to worship Gods such as Ourania the Muse of Astronomy and Astrology."

The smoke figures were now all Centaurs, and they seemed to be in perfect peace now, as they played with one another and each held a small telescope, as the Chiron figure had.

"Over the centuries, they travelled over many lands and seas until eventually they made their way to a large island that would one day be called _Britain_. Upon arriving on this soil, they soon crossed paths with some of the many sorcerers that lived here at the time."

The smoke revealed the Centaurs standing together with human-figures, apparently deep in discussion.

"After a lengthy time of _difference of opinion_, they came to an agreement and settled on a treaty. The sorcerers gave them a large area of land where they would remain safe and hidden, where they would bother no one and no one would bother them. This land was, of course, here in the Forbidden Forest near where the school of Hogwarts was eventually built. We Centaurs have never been interested in the school or its pupils. So long as they remained on their own land, we cared not of them."

Tiny tree-like fumes gathered, and the smoke-men pointed at them. The Centaurs were quick to join with the trees, dissipating as they did so.

"Of course, the sorcerers had also insisted on some other rules, which we _had_ to obey, and that were not open for discussion. One of those rules was that we were henceforth forbidden from ever abducting another human, whether they be man, woman or child. This had caused a lot of friction amongst the herd, as without human females to breed with they could not hope to bring their numbers up again. But the sorcerers were too powerful at the time, and we needed a place to settle down, so in the end they relented, accepting the human's law."

Firenze moved his hand slowly around the fumes, making them soar through the air, as hundreds of tiny Centaurs took shape, galloping on the wind.

"And here was where we made our home, and here our herd flourished and prospered. Thus we have remained, never venturing far from the forest that has been our home now for over a thousand years, never interacting with any outsiders unless absolutely necessary, and never taking anyone against their will."

"So what happened then?" she asked snidely. "Was there a loophole in the system?"

Firenze sighed, and moved his hand through the smoke, causing it all to dissipate entirely, leaving no trace. "As I said, we gave in to the human's demands, agreeing to never abduct any human against their will, but… The humans never said anything about keeping humans who wandered into our land of their own free will."

Rebecca felt her eyes flare, incensed. "Are you saying that just because I came into your camp by myself, instead of you guys taking me, then I unwillingly sold myself to you?"

"I'm sorry to say, but yes."

"You can't be serious about this!" she shouted. "You can't…!"

"I'm afraid we can and we are, my friend," Firenze told her sadly. "I am so sorry about all this. I did try to get them to take you home, but they would not hear of it. They see your coming here as a blessing from the Gods." 

"Why?"

"There was a time when our herd numbered in the thousands, now we total just over a mere fifty. Our entire race less than a hundred and fifty! The main reason is the humans' law forbidding us to venture beyond our borders and take women against their will. Our Breeders are so few that usually one of them has to mate with the whole herd because there are not enough of them. But now…_you're_ here."

"And you think I'll be able to replenish your stock," she deduced, her voice faded to a mere whisper.

Firenze looked at her, his face full of sorrow. "I am truly sorry, Rebecca," he apologised again. "If there was a way out of this for you, I would have already acted. But the herd has already made its decision."

"How do you know I will even be able to bear children?" tried again. "My family has a history of infertilities." That was a lie, but she was desperate. "And even if I do have any kids with you, what if I should die during the birth? I imagine a Centaur baby is much larger than a human one for a mother to carry and give birth to! Is all this really worth the risk to go for just one foal?"

"In the past, human women often bred healthy foals, although it is true that some of them did perish in the births," Firenze explained, making her wince. "But even so, there is no fear of that for you."

"How do you know?"

"Before we decided you would remain, we looked to the stars for information on your future, then performed the Divination Ceremony to better foresee whether you would bear us strong foals. The visions of the future can sometimes be unclear and often open to misinterpretation, but in your case, our elder Safyph foresaw you surrounded by many foals, if you remained with us. Therefore there is no danger of you experiencing any difficulty bearing young Centaurs."

"Swell," she moaned. "Is there no way out of here for me?"

Firenze raised his hands in a defeated gesture. "If there is, I would love to hear it. The only way I know of was to convince my leader, but he won't hear anything of it. To him, this matter is closed, and to top it all off, he's even decided to be the first who takes you as his Breeder."

Rebecca felt close to tears again. "Firenze, please, you have to help me," she begged him. "You have to get me out of here, I'm begging you!"

He looked at her, as though tortured. "I…I can't." His eyes stared at her with true regret in them, but at that moment she couldn't notice. "Forgive me, I wish I could help, but I…"

"I understand," she said bitterly. "You want in on the action, too, huh!"

He looked at her in confusion for a moment, before his eyes widened with what she was suggesting, remembering what Adair and the others had said about him trying to get into her good books. "No!" he almost cried out. "I swear to you that is not the case!"

"Oh please!" she swore at him. "You Centaurs are all alike, aren't you? Even those of you who pretend to be all friendly and kind! It's all just an act to get onto my best side so that when the time comes for your turn, I'll be all sweet and submissive!"

"That's not it at all!" he insisted, stepping up to her and grabbing her shoulders in his large hands, squeezing them. "I…I wish I could make you understand, but…One of the most important things in a Centaur's life is to honour their herd and live up to the promises they make in life. I am sworn to serve and obey the laws of my herd, no matter what. Thus I am honour bound to live up to my oath of loyalty to my herd."

He stared into her eyes. "I did try to do all that I could to have them set you free, but I was overruled. The decision was made not just by one of us, but the entire herd, with Magorian giving the final verdict. I sought to change their minds, but once the final decision is made, nothing can be done." He looked sorrowfully at her. "But I do promise you that I am not like the others…"

"Change the tune, Firenze!" she said, as she slapped his hands away from her. "I may have believed you once, but never again. Because if you can just stand back and watch as your brothers rape me, then you are not, nor were you ever, a friend of mine!"

With that, she kicked him in the leg and turned to run back to the Herding Ground, leaving Firenze behind, looking lost and full of pain.

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Rebecca sat in her hut, hugging her knees to her chest. The sun had already set, and she could make out the sounds of the Centaurs outside, talking, laughing, and working. She made her way over to the hut's entrance, taking a small peek outside to see what was going on, though she already knew the answer.

Over in the centre of the Herding Ground, where the Circle was located, she watched the Centaurs, as they prepared for something.

'Yeah, me,' she thought, bitter and frightened.

Some Centaurs were carrying armfuls of firewood, together with buckets of something, to the Circle. She could only guess that the buckets were most likely filled with wine and food. Clearly tonight was meant to be a big night for them all.

Just outside the Circle, several centaurs were starting small bonfires. The first Centaurs lay down their burdens of wood and soon the flames began to grow and strengthen.

It was indeed a big night for the Centaur herd. They were to celebrate the beginning of a new life, a new addition, to their herd. To them, there was nothing more sacred or joyous.

She backed away from the entrance until she was leaning against the other side of the hut, kneeling back down, hugging her knees in an unconscious effort to make herself smaller, less noticeable, as though that might protect her.

Time passed, she wasn't sure how much, but she did notice when all fell silent outside.

The sounds of laughter and the activity associated with their preparations abruptly stopped. An eerie silence filled the camp broken only by the roar of the fires. Then, the drums started.

The beat was slow and steady, reminding her of old films in which Romans beat a drum to keep the slaves working the oars on their ships at the same steady pace.

A few moments later, she heard hooves approaching the hut. She made no sound, nor did she attempt to flee, as she had long since learned that the Centaurs would be forever watching her, and tonight of all nights would be the time when their eyes would be the sharpest.

The skins at the front of the hut were pulled back, revealing Adair together with a couple of other Centaurs behind him. She recognised one of them as Bane. There was also a dark grey male whose name she couldn't remember, but who had been one of the first two Centaurs assigned to guard her the night she had first arrived.

"Okay, human," Adair told her. "It's time."

She made no move, sitting still where she was, the only sign she was still alive was that of the clenching of her throat.

"You gonna come along then without a fuss?" Bane asked. His voice, normally so gruff and filled with anger, now seemed amused.

At her continued silence and passive resistance, he smirked. "I was hoping that would be your answer." Without any warning, he and Adair shared a grin and then both charged forward into the hut.

She squealed as the two grabbed her by her arms, hoisting her up off the ground and dragging her with them outside. She saw all of the grown Centaurs of the herd standing around, apparently waiting for her. They stood in two lines, forming a path leading to the Circle.

She stared into the faces of all the Centaurs. They seemed to blur together, becoming one vast ocean of grins and smirks, and she felt her fear begin to grow afresh till she was close to hyperventilating. She couldn't spot Firenze, but in this large crowd it was understandable.

The moment she was brought out of the hut, a huge roar erupted from the crowd, as they brandished their bows and arrows at her, cheering for the herd's newest Breeder. The beating of the drum immediately sped up. A quick look through the herd revealed an elder Centaur with a short grey beard, beating a large drum made of a deerskin.

He was steadily increasing the pace. In time with his beating, half of the Centaurs began clapping their hands, while the rest started stomping their hooves.

Rebecca felt her breath catch in her throat. They stood in their lines, pawing at the ground with their hooves, seemingly anxious. She remembered that they had told her that she was to mate with only one Centaur tonight, but after everything she had gone through with them, and the way they were acting now…who was to say they had been telling the truth?

The Centaur beating the drum continued to quicken his pace, his hands almost seeming to blur. The rest of the herd followed his example, clapping their hands and stomping their hooves with him in tune.

"Have a run, human," Bane's voice sneered in her ear, and then with a hard slap on her backside, he and Adair pushed her forth, between the two lines of their herd. The instant she fell forward, the cheers and laughter from the Centaurs increased.

She had stumbled but a few feet when one of the Centaurs from the left-hand line suddenly grabbed her. She screamed, as she felt his hands grab her bottom, squeezing it none too gently, and tried to pull off her pants.

She broke free, trying to run, but there was nowhere to run to, as everywhere she looked all she could see were more Centaurs.

Another Centaur slapped her bum, making her spin around in terror, which made her susceptible to another one who came up behind her, ensnaring her in his grasp. She screamed again, as his hands wandered to her chest.

"GET OFF ME!" she shouted louder than she thought possible, but the Centaur merely laughed and squeezed. A few seconds later, he shoved her forward into the waiting arms of the next Centaur before him, but as he pushed her, he kept a hold of her shirt, which ripped as she raced forward.

Rebecca wanted to cry, as she heard the sound of her shirt tearing. Only half of it was left on her body, revealing what must have been a very pleasing sight for the Centaur herd. So pleasing that it must have acted as a wake up call for them, as the two lines of them began to converge on her, gathering around her in a circle, their huge hands reaching for her.

"NO!" she screamed in terror, spinning round and around, but all she could see were countless hands hooked for grasping. And all she could hear was the Centaurs' insistent laughter.

She bucked and twisted, as they grabbed at her, pulling at every piece of fabric left on her body. Tears filled her eyes and flooded down her cheeks. All she could hear, aside from their laughter, was the sound of ripping material, and she felt the night's cool breeze move all across the rest of her body.

Rebecca did not know, nor would she likely have cared, but the Centaurs' treatment of her so far was not just for their amusement. Their actions were as much a sacred ceremony as they were a celebration. Stripping her was a symbolic act, her clothes representing her final link to the human world, and without them she would be free of her old life.

Much of what she was put through was Centaur's tradition and ritual, but that didn't mean they didn't enjoy it. It was their way to be wild and overly excited, due to the animal halves of their lineage.

The last of her clothing was pulled off, and as she wept pitifully, their hands moved down her arms and stomach, then down to her legs.

She squealed, as she felt the ground disappear beneath her, until she realised that she had been picked up and lifted into the air by her captors. They held her high over their heads, balancing her on their palms, as they carried her away, sometimes bouncing her on their hands, making her afraid they were going to drop her.

"Stop it!" she pleaded, shutting her eyes tightly to stop any more tears flowing from them, but they took no notice. Eventually, they reached wherever it was they were carrying her to. From her angle, she couldn't see anything, but she assumed that she was at or near the Circle. They lowered her to the ground, dropping her between them.

She lay naked where she was, staring up at the numerous faces grinning down at her, her breath coming out in shallow gasps.

Suddenly, the herd parted at her feet, allowing room for someone to brush past them. She had never seen him before, but one thing she did notice was the large bucket he was carrying with him. From the slush sounds it was making, as he juggled it his grasp, she guessed it to be either water or wine. Knowing the Centaurs, it was most likely the latter, but in this case she was wrong.

The new Centaur smirked down at her, as she lay before them all while clutching her knees to her chest. Then, with one mighty heave, he emptied the contents of the bucket all over her, soaking her thorough. It turned out to be water after all, but it had been mixed in with something else, making it greasy like bath oil.

The Centaurs cheered again, and then once more moved in on her with their hands, rubbing every corner of her entire body.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she cried, as the oily substance was massaged into her skin, their hands moving all over her, around her chest and between her legs, which made her skin feel as slippery as a fish.

"_You may say different in a few minutes time, wench,"_ one of the Centaurs said into her ear. "_This substance is water mixed with the oil of tree-sap. Its sole purpose is to make your body more susceptible and accommodating to we Centaurs'…" _he smirked, _"…__**sizes**__._"

Rebecca whimpered.

"_So unless you want to get torn up like a piece of fruit, stop moaning and take it with a bit of stout!"_ another Centaur shouted into her other ear.

With no choice, she resigned herself to her fate, biting her lower lip until she tasted blood in her mouth, as the Centaur's hands roamed over her body. She didn't know which was worse, the feel of their hands or their mocking jeers.

Thankfully, their assault on her body lasted no more than another minute. When they were finished, the crowd stepped away from her, except for two of them who remained at her side. The two were Adair and Bane, as they each held onto her shoulders, guiding her forward towards an opening deliberately left in the crowd.

She didn't cry, run or scream, for, at that moment, she was still too much in shock from their latest assault on her. She merely walked where they guided her, moving in a slow stagger.

Her earlier guess was proven correct; they were just outside the herd's Circle. They had all been standing right in front of one of the Circle's trees, the Silver Birch that represented fertility. After she had been stripped, they had carried her to the tree, where they had applied the oil, made from its sap, to her. They believed the sacred tree would give her strength and ensure the conception of a healthy foal.

They soon brought her into the Circle, the rest of the herd holding back, where one Centaur was already waiting for her. It was Magorian who stood near the stump located right at the heart of the Circle. He had no expression on his face, but she could see the way his eyes lit up when he saw her approaching, not to mention the reaction of the huge thing dangling beneath him.

"No…" she whispered silently. "No!" This couldn't be happening to her, not to her! She came from one of the most respected families in Britain. She was the daughter of Harold Leicester, a rich and powerful Member of Parliament. She was going to Oxford or Cambridge University, and was known for her exquisite tastes and refinement. There was no way she was going to let herself be raped by a mutant horse!

"NO!" she yelled, once more struggling against the Centaur's grips on her, using every trick she could think of by kicking, biting, punching and screaming at them.

Alas, though her outburst was impressive and her determination commendable, it was futile against two full-grown Centaurs, for their great strength would dwarf that of a body-builder many times, let alone that of a petite girl like her. All that her resistance earned her was a bark of laughter from all three of them.

"Excellent!" Magorian declared, sounding genuinely impressed. "A female of your strength in will and spirit has the makings that of a fine Breeder! I think we can expect many fine foals from you in the future, human."

"My name is Rebecca Leicester!" she shouted, never ceasing in her struggle. "NOT human, Breeder or wench! I am nobody's Breeder, whether they be human, Centaur or otherwise! And as God is my witness, I swear I will die before I let either of you filthy Jackasses lay a hand on me!"

The word Jackass certainly seemed to dampen Magorian's mood, as his face took on a darker expression. The mood of the other Centaurs also shifted till they were all glaring at her. The two holding her increased their grip on her, making her hiss in pain from the pressure put on her shoulders.

"Have a care, human," the Centaur leader warned her. "We do not seek to harm you, but neither will we take any insult to our heritage. There is also little point in your resistance, for the decision of your fate was made the night when you first came to us."

"I make my own decisions concerning myself!" she insisted.

"Since when?" Magorian asked, as he crossed his arms, looking at her with an almost bemused expression.

Rebecca opened her mouth to answer, but found she had no reply to speak.

Magorian laughed. "As I thought! You claim we took your freedom from you, but in reality we are merely continuing your life as it was. You have never made any choice for yourself, so why start now? And now, I tire of this conversation!" He clapped his hands together, signalling the other Centaurs to act.

She had no time to speak or even to breathe, as Bane and Adair suddenly lifted her from the ground by her arms, the same way it had been the night she had first been brought to their camp.

Carrying her over to the stump, they quickly lay her upon it, pushing her back on its unusually smooth surface. She tried to leap up and flee, but the two of them held her down.

"Just relax, _Mare_," Bane said snidely to her.

"Yes," Adair added. "You never know. You might enjoy it!"

She couldn't help but release another low whimper from her throat, as they held her down on the hard stump. They stood to each side of her, leaving a clear path for their leader. Each gripped an arm in one hand and a leg in the other, which they then pulled to spread her legs painfully wide.

Rebecca wanted nothing more at that point than to curl up and die in shame. Her body was totally exposed, her disgrace almost complete, save for one, and that one was coming all too soon.

Magorian stood in front of her before the stump, his face gone back to being expressionless. The moment he stood before her, she heard the sound of that damned drum again.

_[Boom…Boom…Boom…] _

The drum had started out, as before, with a slow beat. After about half a minute, the pace gradually began to increase.

_[Boom..Boom..Boom..] _

As the pace started to hurry, she heard the noise of the herd. Just as before, they had begun pounding the ground with their hooves or clapping their hands in time to the drum beat.

[_Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap!]

She could only catch glimpses of what was going on beyond her two captors, but she could tell that the entire herd had now gathered around the Circle. They stood, watching her, clapping their hands in time with the drum. Some showed no expression, others grinned and smirked, while others were close to cheering.

From among the crowd of faces, she was able to pick out Firenze. It wasn't hard to notice him, as he was the only Centaur who wasn't clapping. He stood between two larger members of his herd, watching in distress as Magorian prepared for the mating.

'Help me!' she mouthed the words to him, not saying them out loud, but to Firenze they might as well have been spoken through a giant loudspeaker.

The young Centaur stood helplessly amongst his brothers, watching what was supposed to be a joyful celebration take place. There was nothing he wanted more at that time than to rush forward, rescue his friend from this nightmare, and carry her to safety. But if he were to do that, then not only would he be going against his word as a Centaur, to obey his leader and serve his herd, but his life in the herd would literally be over.

To interrupt a mating ceremony even for the best of reasons was frustrating for all concerned, but to attempt to break it up, after swearing not to interfere, would be an unforgivable crime. If he attempted to save her, place her wishes above the welfare of the herd, he would be labelled a traitor.

He had sworn to serve and obey his herd, and even though he did not agree with their decision to keep Rebecca prisoner, the herd had decided, and he was honour bound to obey and not take action. To do otherwise would mean dishonour, and to a Centaur there was no worse crime. Any Centaur who willingly dishonoured himself in such a way would have no place in their herd.

Firenze closed his eyes, now glistening with tears. He wanted to run or at least turn his head away, so as not to see the awful scene, but could not bring himself to do so. He and all his brothers were meant to be there at this joyful time, and Firenze could not abandon his friend. He doubted she would ever forgive him, but at least he could stay to show her some moral support.

Meanwhile, Rebecca lay on the tree-stump, still struggling to get up but with no success. With every beat of the drum and clap of the herd's hands, Magorian seemed to be becoming more and more incensed.

She had seen documentaries about horses in the wild and at Breeding farms, the way they acted when they were excited, or when they were about to mate. Magorian was behaving the exact same way. As he moved back and forth, his hooves trampled the ground beneath him, his tail swishing from side to side, and he made loud snorts through his nose.

She tried pushing herself up from the stump again, but Bane and Adair were too strong, as they held her down easily.

[_Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap!]

The speed and volume of the clapping and beating of the drum increased, and Magorian looked as if he was getting ready to jump a fence, his horse-body swaying dangerously from side to side.

Rebecca felt her own breath quickening, as she continued struggling against her oppressors, even though she knew it would be no good.

Just then, Magorian raised his front hooves up and planted themselves down on either side of her on the stump. She could not see his face from this angle, but it took no genius to figure out what was coming.

"NO!" she screamed, writhing from side to side until she thought her arms would pop out of their sockets. Bane and Adair merely laughed.

[_Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap!]

The clapping and beating continued to grow quicker.

Magorian lowered his entire body down until it was almost touching her. To her it was like a dark storm cloud descending, and she could smell the scent of the forest from him. All he had to do was drop his full weight on her, and she knew she would be crushed like an insect.

There was no escape for her!

He began making slow thrusting movements, as he stood high over her, his body moving back and forth like a well-oiled engine, his movements in tune with the drum and clapping, almost as though he was taunting her.

[_Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap! _Boom_! Clap!]

'Damn it! Why couldn't that stupid drum and those dumb-asses just shut up?' she thought, her tears coming again. Although she couldn't see it, she could feel the tip of Magorian's hard member less than a centimetre away from her womanhood. She could actually feel the heat radiating from it.

The clapping and beating seemed to be approaching a crescendo, and she knew that once it did, so too would Magorian, and then he would truly get started.

[_BOOM_! CLAP!_BOOM_!CLAP!_BOOM_!CLAP!]

Magorian started to lower himself the rest of the way down, preparing himself for the next thrust, only this time he would not be aiming at mere open air, but at her.

The clapping stopped, and the Centaurs cheered, as the drumming sped up, becoming almost a drum roll as one might hear at a circus or execution. Magorian prepared to thrust again, pulling his body back, as he aimed straight at Rebecca.

Then inspiration struck…

"**WAAAAAIIIIT!"** Rebecca's voice screamed to the heavens. So powerful it was that even the Centaurs looked at her in surprise, and Magorian paused in what he was doing. He only paused momentarily, but it was enough for her.

"I DEMAND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE!" she continued, shouting her voice high and loud.

The Centaurs all looked at her curiously, some with a few cocked eyebrows, obviously wondering what she meant.

"What do you mean?" Firenze called out from the crowd. In truth, he had some idea of what she was planning, but kept silent, only asking that she explain herself to the rest of the herd. He knew he had to seize the opportunity she had provided or they might simply ignore her in their excitement.

"Since you brought me here, I have been denied everything!" Rebecca explained, her voice lowered somewhat, but still with a powerful edge to it. "You will not allow me to go home, see others of my own kind, or even let me have the basic necessities from my world! Now I am here, forced to lay on my back while one of you does the dirty by raping me right here and now!"

"If you're trying to get out of this, don't bother!" Bane snarled at her dangerously. "You've already been told the situation. Nothing you say or do will change that!"

"I know that, shaggy!" she yelled angrily at him, forgetting for a moment to show respect for a Centaur, particularly this one, but at that moment she was too incensed to think logically. "I accept now that what you're planning cannot be changed! BUT…I demand at least some small compensation from your race! If I cannot change your minds about what will happen, then at least give me the right to choose who gets to violate me!"

Even Bane seemed astounded at her words, so much so that he didn't even take umbrage when she called him shaggy, as he and the rest of the herd all stared incredulously at her. They had all been expecting her to resist them every step of the way, and that they would take her by force no matter what happened this night. Not once had they considered that she would be submissive.

"Why should we bother asking you which one should be first?" Bane asked snidely. "In the end, we all intend to take our turns producing foals with you, so what matter does it make who goes first or last?"

"It matters to me!" she insisted. "This is my first time, and that may not mean anything to you and your herd, but to me and all humans it means a lot! If I have no say in what should become of me and my body, then at the very least I demand the right to choose who should be the one to have my first time with! I deserve that beyond all else!"

She glared furiously at Bane, Adair, and even at the undersection of Magorian, her resolve never weakening. At that moment, she had never looked more determined or adamant in her entire life.

Magorian then placed his hooves back down on the ground, and stepped away from her, gazing into her eyes keenly. She could tell from the look on his face that he must have found it near impossible to stop, considering how close he had been, and was even now finding it hard not to continue. She didn't doubt that stopping in mid-action was a very UN-Centaur trait.

"Who would you have as your first then?" Magorian finally asked, his voice deep and heavy. Judging by the look of him, Rebecca believed a jump in the cold river might be the best idea, if only to cool him down somewhat.

She waited half a minute before she eventually answered. "I don't know," she admitted. "I haven't exactly gotten to know any of your herd personally, save Firenze. I would need time to make a decision."

Bane snorted. "She is merely trying to buy herself time, Magorian!" he growled, still holding her arm and leg tightly, almost to breaking point. "She has no care who takes her first! All she desires is to find a way to escape and then flee!"

"Peace, Bane!" Magorian silenced the dark Centaur. He stared at the lone human for another minute, his eyes seemingly searching hers, before saying, "Three days."

Bane, Adair and the whole herd all stared at Magorian as if he had grown a second head.

"You have three days from now to choose your first breeding partner," he explained, his tone soft but with a firm determination to it. "The one that you choose, you will mate with him as we would have here…"

"Magorian!" Bane snapped, his voice shocked and angered.

"PEACE!" Magorian snarled, once more silencing Bane. "The human speaks true. Since claiming her, we have had no thoughts or considerations to her rights. Even we Centaurs have always had the right to choose who our intendeds should be. We should show the same courtesy to her."

Rebecca gave a sigh of relief, but soon stiffened again when the Centaur leader looked back down on her.

"But know this, human!" His tone was menacing. "If you do not choose your partner by the time the third sun sets, or should you attempt to escape again…then any and all of your rights and privileges will be cast out, and you will be taken straight away regardless, _and_…" He leaned forward, staring deeper into her eyes. "The next time you lie in this circle, it will not be just one of us that will mate with you, it will be _all_ of us!"

Rebecca did not offer a reply, not trusting her voice. She just nodded as a sign that she understood. She maintained her defiant expression, but she couldn't keep the fear from showing in her eyes.

With that, Magorian backed away from her, turning around and making his way out of the Circle. "The night of the Breeding is postponed for three days!" he announced to everyone, as he left. "We shall convene at that time! Till then, be on your way!"

As he left, she couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be heading in the direction of the river. 'Guess I wasn't the only one who felt he needed an ice bath,' she thought absent-mindedly.

With his departure, the rest of the herd soon followed. Adair and Bane had long since released her, leaving her to remain lying on the tree-stump while they headed for parts unknown to her. No one came to her aid, not even Firenze, so she just stayed where she was, remaining as still as a post, breathing heavily and losing track of time until, finally, she gathered enough strength to force herself up.

Heaving slightly, she turned over to her side, deliberately dropping herself from the tree-stump into the dirt below. She remained there for another minute, again lying still, before slowly getting up and brushing the dirt and leaves from her person.

She spared a glance around, but could see no sign of her clothes anywhere. No doubt the Centaurs had torn them all to pieces and thrown them away, believing them to be of no more use, as the Centaurs had no use for clothing. Since Rebecca would have been a full member of the herd tonight, they would have seen no reason for her to hold onto human clothing, believing them to be the last link she had to her old life.

She slowly walked out of the Circle, her thoughts in a daze. None of the Centaurs even looked at her, as she passed by them, her nudity not bothering them in the slightest, since clothing was alien to them. In fact, clothing made the Centaurs stare more than anything.

She stumbled further on; her strength feeling like it had been drained. It was as though all her energy had been spent while shouting at Magorian and the others, trying desperately to save herself. Now that that moment had passed, and she was for the moment safe again, the reality of the situation was gradually pouring into her mind.

They had tried to rape her!

Her mind felt like it was blanketed by fog as she walked on, heading over to her hut. No one tried to stop her, not that she could notice anyone at that particular time, as she eventually reached the opening to the skin-hut.

When she stepped inside, she didn't notice the watchful and grieving eyes of Firenze following her every move. His eyes spoke volumes about his despair and regret, as he watched her stumble with every step, berating himself for not having had the courage or the strength to help her.

Rebecca went inside the hut, heading straight for the nearest corner. There was a pile of skins there that she could use for a bed, as she lay on them, her arms wrapped around herself. But as tired as she was, she found she could not even bring herself to close her eyes.

She lay where she was for more than a few minutes, her body as still as it had been in the Circle, her eyes staring into nothingness. She couldn't bring herself to sleep, for she feared that when she did she would see the events of that night play back in her mind.

After what seemed like hours, she felt what was left of her strength break, her face feeling like it was cracking into a million pieces, as wave after wave of tears flooded down her cheeks.

To Be Continued… 


	7. Chapter 7

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_**This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'!**_

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**Forbidden Forest; One Hour Later;**

**Outside Hogwarts:**

Hagrid hummed to himself as he and his dog Fang patrolled the outskirts of the Forest near the school. Despite the fact that there had been no more unnatural deaths among the forest's animal-life, as there had been among the unicorns when Voldermort had been killing them for their blood to live, Hagrid still made it his solemn duty to check things…_just in case. _

However, because the Dementors were still searching for Sirius Black, he obviously couldn't go very far. He had no desire to meet a Dementor alone.

But, he didn't doubt that Dumbledore would appreciate any and all news about the Dementor's progress in finding the fugitive. It never hurt to keep eyes and ears open after all.

He thought about Black, briefly wondering about where he was and what had become of him.

"_Hagrid_!" a voice called out to him.

The half-giant turned in surprise. "Who's…?" he started, but then stopped and smiled. "Oh, Firenze! Lovely to see you again. How'd the lead and paper work out?"

"Fine, fine," the Centaur said hurriedly. "I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I require another favour."

Hagrid shrugged. "Sure. Whatever you want, if I can get it. What do you need?"

Firenze paused for a moment, before answering. "I need you to get me something, but I can't explain to you the reason why."

Hagrid looked blankly at him. "Say again?"

Firenze sighed. "Hagrid, you have always been a good friend to me as well as to the forest and all its creatures. I can only hope I have done just as well to earn your trust and friendship."

"Ain't no fear o' that, Firenze."

"Thank you, but even so…" the young Centaur stared hard at him. "I require your absolute trust this time. What I'm going to ask you is going to sound strange and bizarre, but believe me, I have my reasons. Just promise me you'll get them and ask no questions?"

Hagrid frowned. "Well, as long as it ain't nothin' illegal or dangerous, I see no harm. And I do still owe you one for saving young Harry. So yeah, why not! Now, what do you need?"

Firenze told him.

Hagrid stood blinking for a few minutes, staring at Firenze with a blank expression upon his face. "Say that again?" he asked.

0000000000

**Centaur Herding Ground; **

**Next Morning: **

The singing of the birds and the trampling of the Centaur's hooves indicated another day had begun, as Rebecca slowly opened her eyes.

She didn't feel rested in the least, but her nightmares had, thankfully, faded into the mist and she was at least able to function. Forcing herself to stand, she ventured to the entrance of the hut, but couldn't bring herself to go out. Over and over, her mind replayed the part of the previous evening when Adair and Bane had held her down on that bumpy tree-stump, while Magorian had been…_getting_ _ready_!

Her whole body shuddered, as she remembered how the Centaur leader had mounted her, seeing nothing but his undersection, as he had prepared to impregnate her. She couldn't take it! She felt nauseous, as her stomach churned.

Sitting perfectly still, while covering her mouth with her hand, she tried desperately to calm her stomach. After a few moments, everything started to settle and she began breathing properly again. 'Get a hold of yourself!' she thought fiercely.

A morning breeze blew through the opening in the hut, chilling her. Upon instinct, she made to reach for her clothes before she remembered that all her clothes had been ripped apart by the herd, since according to them, she would have no more need of them.

She was about to pull her arm back, seeing as her clothes were gone, until she noticed a pile of clothing lying next to the hut's opening.

Curious, she reached out to inspect it. She knew that they couldn't be hers, as she clearly remembered her own being ripped to pieces, and she didn't even recognise the clothing, having never seen them before in her life. They looked like they were some kind of school robes, the kind that one would wear on Graduation Day. There was even a crest on the front, but not one that she was familiar with.

The crest was in the shape of a heraldic shield, with the word "Hogwarts" written in bold letters at the top. The shield itself was split into four sections, with the letter "H" written right in the middle, and in each section there appeared to be a picture of an animal. One was of a lion in a red background; the other was a snake in green, a raven in blue and a badger in yellow. There were words, too, at the bottom, but it was in a foreign language that she couldn't understand.

'Hogwarts…' Rebecca frowned, as she recalled the name. 'Wasn't Hogwarts the name of that school that Firenze mentioned?' she thought to herself.

At the thought of Firenze's name, she felt her anger begin to rise up, as she remembered his betrayal. He had just stood by while the rest of his brethren had been getting ready to watch her get raped for fun!

She hugged the new clothes to her. They might not be hers, but at least they were something clean and dry for her to wear. She hurriedly changed, ignoring the air that blew up them. They were drafty, but they fit her at least, and covered every part of her, which was what she wanted right now.

After she got changed, she knew she would have to go outside. She didn't doubt that the Centaurs would not let her shirk her duties just because of what happened last night, which to them had been nothing. If she didn't work, they would come in and make her work anyways.

Rebecca chewed her lower lip, wanting very much to curl up back under the skins and return to sleep, but knew that would never happen. Swallowing her fear and the nausea in her stomach, she stepped out of the hut and found Firenze lying right outside.

Firenze snorted slightly, as he woke up. He blinked his eyes, staring at Rebecca. "H-hello, Rebecca," he said hesitantly. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you anything else besides the school robes, but my friend Hagrid said it was the best he could do."

The robe that Hagrid had brought him was one that he had found in the school's lost property. Despite Hogwarts being a magical school, students were still known for losing things, same as any other school. One girl, Luna Lovegood, was known for constantly _misplacing_ things.

She didn't say anything to him. She merely gave him a long stare, and then she turned and left to go see Safyph and the foals.

"Rebecca, wait!" Firenze called out, hurrying after her. He kept alongside her, as she walked but made no move to grab her or stop her. He knew trying such a thing with her would be highly unwise right now.

"Please, let me explain," he begged.

"Explain what?" she asked, her voice no more than a hiss. "What do you have to explain, Firenze? Perhaps about why you did nothing while your brother Centaurs were holding me down in your precious Circle, getting ready so that your boss could shag me? And when I saw you in the crowd, and literally begged you for help, you just turned around and did nothing!"

Firenze winced, her words cutting into him like a blade. "I know," he said in a pathetic plea. "I should have helped you, I know I should have, but…but I _couldn't_."

Rebecca stopped in her tracks, and turned to glare at him. "Why? Was the show too entertaining for you to stop it?"

Firenze gave her a glare of his own. "There was nothing I wanted more at that point than to stop what was occurring, Rebecca. Whatever you may choose to believe or disbelieve about me, _that_ is the absolute truth!"

"_Then why didn't you?"_ she screeched, ignoring the curious looks of the passing Centaurs.

The Centaur winced again, rubbing his neck with his hand. "Because of what I already told you, my lady," he explained. "I told you that my herd have a sacred vow that we all take as young warriors. Magorian even made me re-take that oath the night you first came because he doubted my loyalty."

"Oh, you mean your word of honour?" she sneered.

"Yes, that!" he replied hotly. "I don't know what a word of honour is regarded as in your world, but here, to us, there is nothing more sacred or binding! I swore my life to the loyalty of my herd, to serve it for as long as I lived. If I were to break that oath then my word would have no meaning, and a Centaur who cannot keep his word is no Centaur at all."

He paused then, breathing heavily. "That…doesn't mean I liked it though," he then admitted. "I told you I did everything I could to try and get Magorian and the others to release you, but none would listen… " He gazed at her sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, Rebecca. I really did want to help you, but my oath is my bond, _literally_. If I had helped you, then I would have had to go up against my entire herd to do so, and once I did that…I would be a Centaur without a herd, and for any Centaur that is a fate..."

"Worse than death," she finished his sentence for him, remembering his words he had spoken to her last time when she had first found out what the Centaurs intended for her.

Firenze nodded. "Believe me, I wish there was something I could do, but I don't see how I can help. If I could, I would carry you home myself without stopping."

Rebecca scoffed bitterly. "If only it were that simple."

The two of them stayed still and silent for a few minutes after that, neither of them sure of what to say. When a few more minutes had passed, when Firenze felt like he was beginning to go mad from all the silence, she spoke.

"Do you know what it was like?"

"Huh?" Firenze looked blankly at her.

"Do you have any idea what it was like for me, lying there in that Circle, with Magorian about to…_take me_?" Rebecca said.

Firenze shook his head. "No. I wish I did, but…"

"It was like being at my own execution!" she revealed. "Before, I was dragged and pushed along by your own brothers like I was nothing but cattle. And then, I was treated just like a Mare about to be bred, as I was held over that stump with your leader right over me! I was powerless and completely helpless to stop it. Do you know what that's like, to have someone take control completely away from you?"

Firenze looked at her with his large blue eyes. "No, I do not," he admitted.

Rebecca clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She stood like that for a minute, her lower lip trembling. "Magorian was going to rape me," she stuttered quietly. "And there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't stop him, I couldn't fight him…All I could do was shout and listen, as his buddies laughed at me. They didn't care that what they were about to do was against my will. All they cared about…was having a fun time."

Her lip trembled more, and her eyes started to shed more tears again.

Firenze had believed he should keep his distance from her, considering how angry she had rightfully been with him just a few moments ago, but when he saw her crying, he could not just stand idly by.

Moving up to her, he took her up in his arms, embracing her firmly within them, and quickly hurried out of the Herding Ground. After everything she had been through, she didn't deserve to have the whole herd watching her sob her eyes out as well.

Neither of them said anything, as they left the camp, nor did Rebecca shout or make any attempt to get Firenze to release her. She remained in his arms, allowing all the fear, shame and hurt she had suffered last night flow from her, her tears soaking her face.

Firenze eventually brought her down to the river where there was no one in sight, but Rebecca didn't even notice. She stayed in his embrace long after they had arrived, holding onto his strong shoulders, her arms wrapped around him and his around her, offering her comfort and protection.

It was almost mid-day by the time either of them started to wonder where all the time had gone.

0000000000

**Few Hours Later: **

"Feeling better?" Firenze asked her finally. They had spent the last few hours together at the river. No one had come looking for them. Firenze suspected that Safyph had figured that Rebecca would not be up to working today, so had allowed her some time to compose herself. As for the rest of the herd, they most likely didn't believe she would be so stupid to attempt running away again.

She said nothing at first, as she just stared into the running water, looking at the pebbles at the bottom. "Not really," she said finally.

In truth, she was feeling a little better, but whatever comfort she ever felt soon dissipated when she remembered that come the third sunset it would start all over again.

"Firenze, what am I going to do?" she asked.

He was at a loss for words. "I wish I knew."

"I can't leave here, not without grim-faced Adair coming after me. The herd won't let me go. If I stay here then eventually I'm going to end up with a bun in the oven, then I'll never be able to leave." She buried her face in her hands.

Firenze gently touched her shoulder. "Would it…" he started hesitantly. "Would it really be so bad staying here permanently?"

She spared him a glance. "After what happened last night, do you truly expect me to dignify that with an answer?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," he apologised quickly. "I just… I just wish I could find a way out of this for you."

"You and me both," she muttered, burying her face in her hands again.

They stayed that way for another few minutes, but no matter how hard they tried, if there was an answer to their predicament then the Fates were hiding it well from them.

Firenze looked up at the sun, noticing for the first time how much of the day had gone by already. "We had better be starting back now. Safyph probably had the herd stay back to give you some breathing time, but they won't stay back forever. Adair is no doubt still somewhere nearby, as he'd never let you out of his sight."

"Don't I know it," she moaned, but resigned to her fate, getting up.

Firenze didn't bother scooping her up in his arms, as he didn't feel she would appreciate it this time. Plus, he knew his herd wouldn't like it much either. They still continued to bother him about the time when he had carried the young boy, Harry Potter, on his back like a common horse.

This time, he simply walked side by side with her until they safely arrived back at the Herding Ground. When they returned though, they were met with a most unexpected welcome.

0000000000

When Firenze and Rebecca walked into the camp; their faces were solemn, showing no expression. Firenze gave her her space, keeping one-step ahead while she walked behind with her face downcast.

Although they had talked and settled some of their differences, Rebecca knew she could never trust him. Firenze was a noble and decent Centaur, of that she was certain, but it was because of that same grand nobility that she knew she couldn't count on him for help. His word of honour made it impossible for her to do so.

She had accepted that Centaurs were a complicated race, and although Firenze proved he was by far the nicest one of his people, he was still nevertheless one of them. Their strict code of honour, of keeping their word and eternal loyalty to their herd, may have been noble, but it also meant that Firenze would never be able to help her. Not without betraying his own herd.

Not that there was a great deal that she could do, though, even with his help. The more she thought about it, the less chance she could see of a way out for her. She had managed to buy some time for herself before she would be mated to one of the herd, but in the end it would all end the same as before…her lying on that damn tree-stump with whoever mounting and crushing her with his massive weight.

Firenze looked at her, hesitating before speaking. "I…I realise you may not wish to talk about this, but…have you considered whom you will breed with when the time comes?"

She snorted in disgust. "I don't think it very much matters. The only reason I said I wanted to choose was to give me some time to figure out an…" She paused.

"You don't have to be worried about me repeating anything, Rebecca," he assured her. "I said I cannot help you escape, that is true. However, there is no vow I have taken, which forces me to reveal anything you may or may not be planning. You have my oath of silence on that."

"Thank you," she replied quietly, but gratefully.

They entered the herding ground, and were immediately met by a trio of young Centaurs. The young warriors had spotted them coming the moment they had entered the clearing.

"Hello!" one light brown Centaur with large muscles said, ignoring Firenze completely, his attention focused entirely on the lone human.

His sudden approach seemed to wake Rebecca out of her reverie, as she stared at him in surprise. "Umm, hello?" she replied cautiously.

"Ethan," he added proudly, introducing himself. "As in strength!"

She eyed him suspiciously, as he seemed to be trying to increase his size and stature. He sucked in his gut, making his human side rise a few inches, and she couldn't help but notice how the muscles in his arms and shoulders seemed to bulge out at her.

"I am Damon," one of the other Centaurs interrupted, pushing forward. He wasn't anywhere near as big as the first one, but had a lean body with a black coat that shone like brightly polished shoes. He gave her a bright smile. "He who will tame!" he said, indicating the meaning of his name, and giving her a wink.

"And I'm Sloane, the warrior," the final one, a short but muscular Centaur with a light coffee coloured pelt, said. "Care to see me wrestle my brothers into the mud?"

She stared at them all in surprise.

Firenze on the other hand didn't look surprised or suspicious at all, as he watched the young Centaurs with an exasperated but almost bemused expression on his face. "That'll be enough from you, guys!" he told them all. "The human is not taking any offers at the moment, so rest yourselves and wait until tomorrow."

The trio cursed lowly, as they backed off, but not before each of them made one last call to her.

"Look forward to showing you what I can do." Sloane remarked, grinning at her.

"Hope to put my name to good use," Damon added, winking at her again.

"Just remember, tis far better to bear a strong foal than a weak one." Ethan told her finally.

"All right, that's enough, now GO!" Firenze ordered, stamping his hoof in impatience.

The trio walked off sulkily, leaving behind one very weirded-out human in their wake. "What the hell was that all about?" she asked in bewilderment.

Firenze sighed. "I'm afraid you'll have to get used to that for the next few days," he told her.

"Huh?"

He shrugged. "It's…_complicated_. I think Safyph would understand it if you were to miss the foals' lessons today. Maybe you should go and take some time for yourself?"

She shook her head. "If I have anymore time to myself, I'll go nuts. But you are right, I am not exactly in the mood for teaching today."

"Well, just remember not to stray too far from camp," he said warningly. "Particularly with Adair still watching over you."

'No fear of forgetting that,' she thought. Her shoulder still ached where he had shot her.

"I have to go out with the hunting party today, so take care." Firenze gave her good shoulder a warm squeeze and trotted off to join his brothers in the hunt.

Rebecca watched him leave before taking a short walk around the outskirts of the herding ground.

She passed two impromptu archery contests that seemed to involve more posing and flexing than actual archery. The strangeness of it helped her to focus, though, and she soon realized that the contests seemed only to go on as long as they knew she was watching. Among them she noticed Adair staring over at her. He had drawn his bow and looked as if he was ready to shoot at her, making her gasp. Fortunately, though, at the last moment he winked at her, turned and took aim at a tree with a skin nailed to it, acting as a target.

He drew back his arrow and released, sending it soaring through the air, hitting a direct bulls-eye on the skin. He laughed, playfully punching one other Centaur on the shoulder, while taking the opportunity to look over and give her another wink.

She also saw a race being held by five Centaurs she vaguely remembered seeing at the ceremony the night before, and beyond them she saw three Centaurs having a log-throwing contest.

"Ugh!" one white Centaur with platinum blonde hair and huge muscles grunted, as he lifted a large log in his arms. His horse-half was like that of a massive Clydesdale, pure white and thick with muscle, and his human-half would make Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a wimp. She could see the veins in his upper arms looking like they were ready to pop, as he struggled to lift the heavy wood over his head.

"And…over…we go!" he said between breaths, heaving the log over his head.

The log went sailing over him, travelling at least a good ten metres before it came crashing back down to earth, landing with a loud thud halfway across the Herding Ground.

"Phew!" the Centaur wheezed, wiping a layer of sweat from his brow. "Now that's what I call a good throw!" He turned to look at her, seemingly noticing her for the first time, grinning. "How'd you like that then?" he said, boasting. "Doubt there's any human male that can match that distance!"

She half-cocked an eyebrow at him, as he moved his arms around him, relaxing his muscles. She had to admit that he had a good build. His face was surprisingly young, she noticed, like that of a youth, with delicate features despite the length of it. "Impressive," she simply replied, and quickly moved on ahead.

She didn't move very far though before the Centaur trotted up beside her. "What's your hurry, Breeder?"

That one sentence was enough to make her stop, send a chill through her spine and make her incensed all at the same time. She turned to glare at him. "My name…is _Rebecca_!" she hissed through her teeth.

The Centaur shrugged. "So you say. My name is Aonghus, like the God of youth and love!" he said with a wink and a click of his teeth.

Rebecca merely gave him a half-sneer. "Nice to meet you, _Aong_. Now if you'll excuse me." Before he could utter a response, she hurried past him, heading back to her hut.

"Whoa, what's your hurry?" he broke into a gallop, once more catching up to her. "Haven't you ever heard of being sociable?"

Rebecca frowned, but didn't stop walking. "Not in the mood today. Maybe tomorrow."

"Fine," he said brightly. "We can get together tomorrow and go for a walk in the forest."

She did stop then. "Wait a minute! I never said…" But before she could finish, he ploughed ahead.

"See you there then. I'll meet you by your hut!" He hurried back to where some of his herd were waiting, apparently eager to challenge him to another log throwing.

She watched him go for a few seconds, her mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish.

"What the hell is going on?"

Rebecca hadn't realized that she'd spoken aloud until she heard a disdainful snort from behind her. She whirled to find Bane sneering down at her. "They are trying to impress you," he answered. "In hopes that you will choose one of them." He cast a withering look at the five racers, as they thundered toward them and slowed to a trot as they passed. Some of them actually seemed to be prancing.

"It should be obvious," Bane said loudly enough for the racers to overhear as they passed by, trying not to look as if the show had been entirely for Rebecca's benefit, "to anyone with half a brain, that you were simply trying to delay the breeding and could care less who mates with you first. We could have avoided this nonsense if you had just laid back and enjoyed it."

"You think I would have enjoyed _that_?" Rebecca had learned more than she really wanted to know about the Centaurs' worldview in her time with them, but she still found it impossible to believe how brutish Bane could be.

"One way to find out," he added, giving her a nasty leer.

Rebecca wasn't sure what got into her at that point, but she answered before she could think better of it. "If you think it's enjoyable, then why don't you take my place in the Circle and we'll see how YOU enjoy it!"

Bane's face clouded with anger, but he couldn't lash out at her for the comment. Not when every Centaur within earshot began to roar with laughter at the suggestion, as Bane was not a Breeder.

She suspected she might pay for that later, but the look on his face at the moment was well worth it. She excused herself, and Bane was quite happy to let her go.

Wherever she went, however, she felt eyes on her. Each member of the herd seemed to be quietly and not so quietly speculating about her choice. She let out a sigh as she rounded a hut and encountered some kind of wrestling match.

It was going to be a _long_ three days.

0000000000

The rest of the day followed the same, with nearly every Centaur attempting to impress her. Wherever she went, she had several Centaurs showing off their finest skills to her, be it log throwing, archery, or wrestling. It reminded her of when she went to Miami Beach, and all the surfer boys flirted with her, showing off their muscles and surfing skills.

She endured numerous Centaur races, contests and wrestling matches, all with their competitors giving her bright smiles and stretching their muscles in front of her. By the end of dinner, she was so sick of hearing each Centaur go on about the longest log he had thrown or the biggest game animal he had killed…etc. Not to mention several of the same lines from more than a few of them.

"_Hey, human. Want to feel some real muscle?" _

"_You and I could produce some real strong foals!" _

"_Want to see how fast I can run?"_

She was close to screaming after the fourth repetition, and ready to kill the next jackass who told her they'd bear fine strong foals together!

She hadn't spoken to Firenze since that morning, as none of the other Centaurs had given her a free moment. They had surrounded her like a flock of chicks, forever bombarding her with their version of pick-up lines and showing off, not giving either of them a chance to speak to the other.

The only Centaurs who didn't participate in the courting of her were Safyph, Bane and Magorian.

She imagined it wouldn't be considered dignified for Magorian, as their leader, to behave in such a way. For Safyph, he was an elder and therefore too old. And as for Bane, she wasn't quite certain about him, but she deduced that his main reason for ignoring her had to do with their earlier transgression, though he hadn't appeared too interested even before then.

Bane had definitely shown no interest in her as a person, nor even as someone to conceive a foal with. If he had ever shown any interest in making her his then it was most likely because it would have been another way to hurt her. His desire to cause her any pain, whether physical or mental, seemed absolute. She didn't know his reasons for hating her or her kind, but whatever they were, they seemed to rule his life.

So far, the Centaurs' idea of romancing her left a lot to be desired. Unlike most men who would have showered her with gifts, complemented her, or at the very least offered her a place to sit beside them at dinner, the Centaurs' courting seemed to end with them constantly showing off to her. Beyond that they showed no other signs of courting behaviour.

Obviously, their idea of appealing to an intended mate involved showing off their best attributes, and then let their intended make their decision. Not what she would call that romantic like Romeo and Juliet, but she supposed it was logical.

Of course, she still had tomorrow to get by, and then there was the unexpected _date_ that she had somehow gotten herself.

0000000000

**Next Morning: **

She hadn't taken more than three steps out of her hut by the time when Aonghus, the white Centaur, approached her, nearly startling her out of her wits.

"All right, then!" he said, booming into her ear. "Ready?"

"Ready for what?" she groaned, rubbing her ear where he had shouted into it.

"Our walk, of course!" he laughed, acting like she had made a joke.

"Wait a minute," she interrupted. "I never said yesterday that I would…"

"Come on now, practically half the day is gone!" he added eagerly, taking her and leading her by the arm, even though it was only 0700AM. Apparently, the herd had graced her to have a lie-in today, no doubt because many of them were still trying to get into her good books and win the position of her first partner.

"Hang on, I…!" she tried breaking his hold on her, but his grip was like steel. In the end, she just groaned and thought 'to hell with it', and went along with him, deciding to just get this day over and done with as soon as possible.

They walked out of the campsite, going deep into the forest for a distance that would have taken a Centaur a good gallop to reach. Because she was only a human, of course, they had to walk, and as a result it had taken them nearly an hour to reach their destination. Aonghus, being the Centaur that he was, had naturally _not_ offered to let her ride on his back, as such a thing was beneath a Centaur.

She found that a little confusing sometimes, as Centaurs preferred being referred to as mere beasts instead of beings, yet they detested being ridden on like such. She wished they would make up their minds over what they wanted.

Their destination proved to be a rather pretty lakeshore. It was a quiet, peaceful place, not something she would have expected from the muscle-bound Centaur. She moved over to a sun-warmed boulder and sat down, resting her feet. He had set a brisk pace, but at least he hadn't hung on to her arm the whole way.

Taking time to examine their surroundings, she realized that they were a fair distance from the Centaur Herding Ground, and thought briefly that the place had potential.

She wondered briefly about Adair, wondering if he was nearby, ready with a bow and arrow to strike her down again if she tried to escape. Since most of the herd had begun courting her, including him, especially after she had claimed to be interested in him, she wondered if one of the others had asked to take his place as her watcher.

Then again, she did have Aonghus with her, so they probably thought there was no need for her to have a second Centaur tailing her, especially if the first was trying to make nice with her. After all, two was company, three was a crowd. And considering Aonghus' size and stature, it was doubtful she would be able to give him any trouble.

Not that she would try escaping again, as she had long since learnt that these Centaurs were more than able to keep watch over her. Plus, the ripples in the lake, indicating something below the surface, convinced her that trying to swim away would be a bad idea.

She turned back to her _date_ and raised an eyebrow. "Nice place," she admitted. "Peaceful. What's the attraction for you, though?"

"You said it yourself. This place is peaceful. There are several fallen trees near here and boulders. Good exercise. I can lift all but the largest over my head, and that one will soon yield!"

"I see," Rebecca responded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. 'Did I really expect anything else?' she asked herself mentally.

"The lake is good for swimming, too," he continued, surprising her.

She glanced at the water. "What about the…uh, whatever those are?" There were no telltale ripples visible at the moment, but she was sure they would appear if one of them ventured into the lake.

"They just make the swim more interesting. Wrestling those beasts isn't for the faint hearted, I can tell you!"

She didn't know how to respond to that. Fortunately, he didn't seem to require one. He walked through the high grass, casting about for something. "Ah! Here we are!"

Aonghus reached down and, with no apparent effort, lifted a boulder that was almost as large as Rebecca.

She made no sound, as she had spent so much time watching various other Centaurs do the same that she was no longer surprised or amazed at the Centaur's strength. "You're going to hurt yourself if you're not careful," she simply commented.

"You do care!" he said, grinning at her.

'I don't like to see dumb animals in pain,' she almost said out loud. "I can't exactly carry you back if you rupture something," she answered instead with a shrug.

"Not to worry," he grinned, tossing the boulder away. "I'm as solid as that stone!"

Her eyes rolled again.

Aonghus then suddenly moved up to her, cocking his body in the middle to curve all around her. On her left she had his human-half staring down at her, while on her right she had his big horse's ass. From the top, he looked just like a crescent moon, with his shining white pelt.

He then flexed his arm to make the bicep bulge. "Feel for yourself! Big muscles run in the family, you know." He didn't quite leer at her when he said it, but the implication was clear nonetheless, as was the wink he threw at her. She had long since grown accustomed to the constant winking thrown at her from practically every member of the herd.

"Umm, I think we should…" she started to say, but was interrupted when his large hand encased hers.

"Come on, help yourself to a free feel!" he said, grinning, and began trailing her hand around his chest and making her cup his bicep. She had to admit it was huge, as it was bigger than her two hands put together. It jumped and bulged to her touch.

"Huge strength has always run in my side of the herd," he said quietly, in a smooth and almost suede manner. She tried prying her hand away from his, but his grip was too strong. Whether he was keeping hold of her intentionally or not was unclear, as she knew Centaurs were strong creatures and could do great damage without meaning to.

"Feel that!" he stated proudly, as he moved her hand in a circular motion all over the human-half of his body. Once she had explored that part, he moved her hand behind him, guiding it softly down the back of his horse-half.

"Ain't no one in the entire herd with muscles like these," he said, his grin never ending. "Nor is there anyone bigger in either strength…or what's_ underneath_." He winked at her again.

Rebecca gulped, as her hand was moved down his spine, all the way down to his backside where he was even now having her caress it, his tail twitching and swishing with each stroke he made her give.

"I think it's time to go back," she told him, trying to back away, but his grip was still too strong to break.

"Aw, come on," he said mockingly. "Don't tell me you're not even a little impressed?" He continued moving her hand around his backend, making his whole body shiver with each caress. "When's the last time you ever felt muscle like this?"

'The last time I was at a stable,' she said mentally.

Thankfully, he took her hand away from his posterior then, but still he wouldn't release it. Instead, he trotted over to a place near the lake where there was a mound of soft grass. "Now come over here with me," he added slyly. "And I'll show you what other things I am most skilled at!"

A thousand warnings went off in her head, and before she could even think to start screaming…

[SPLAT!]

In her panic, she had reached her free hand down, scooped up some mud and thrown it straight at Aonghus's face. The watered dirt dripped off his face, as he coughed and spluttered some of it out of his mouth.

She tried to break her hand free again, but Aonghus's grip was now even tighter.

When the mud had been wiped from his face, he stared down hard at her. He wasn't glaring, which was a bit of a surprise to her, but seemed to look at her with a mix of annoyance and bemusement.

"That wasn't very nice," he said finally to her. At her astonished expression, since she knew how proud and fearsome Centaurs could be if angered, he added, "That wasn't very nice at all." He leaned down closer to look at her. "My name may not have the same meaning as my brother Damon, but I'm pretty sure that given half the chance I can tame you as good as he can!"

Rebecca squealed, as he started to continue leading her to the spot by the lake, but before he took his second step, a familiar voice interrupted.

"_I don't think that would be wise, Aonghus!"_

The white Centaur quickly released her, and turned to face the source of the voice, taking a battle-stance.

"Peace, brother." Firenze walked out from behind some trees. "It's only me."

Aonghus relaxed his stance, but was far from at ease. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I was out for a walk. Is that a sin?" Firenze replied. "I heard talking from over here, and came to investigate."

"Why? Do you make a habit on invading other Centaurs' private time?"

Firenze merely crossed his arms, gazing keenly at his herd brother. "Be thankful that I did, Aonghus. If I hadn't, there would be no one here to stop you from making a big mistake."

"And that would be?" Aonghus said, glaring at him slightly.

"I heard what you intended for the human."

Aonghus laughed. "Merely wishing to show her all that I am capable of!"

Firenze shrugged. "Perhaps, but do you think it wise to do so right after Magorian decreed that no one was to touch her until after _she_ had made her choice?"

That seemed to make the white mountain of muscle pause for a few seconds. "I was… I was merely…" he stuttered, fumbling for words.

"Make praise that I was here to prevent your error, my friend," Firenze continued. "I doubt either our leader or the rest of our herd would be so thrilled to hear that you had made off with our Breeder, thus not giving the rest of us a chance to court her. And to mate with her here, instead of in the blessed Circle, without the Rite of Fertility…Shame on you, brother!"

Aonghus seemed completely at a loss for words then, as he stared at Firenze with his mouth open, straining to find the words to speak. After a minute of opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish, he finally relented and turned back to Rebecca.

"Umm, perhaps it would be best if I were to return home now," he said quietly.

"I think so, too," she replied, not wishing to say anymore to him, and waited until he had past through the thicket until the white glare of his hide was no longer visible before she spoke again.

"Pretty fancy words there, Firenze," she said snidely. "Making off with your Breeder? Not giving the rest of you a chance? For shame!"

Firenze grinned. "You just have to know how to reach my brothers. Aonghus, for example, is fairly simple. You either fuel his vanity, or stoke his fear concerning the words of our leader."

"Well, whatever, it worked," she said gratefully.

"I doubt there was any cause for fear," he assured her. "Aonghus is arrogant, cocky and obsessed with his own beauty. But if you had made clear your reluctance to…_share_ yourself with him, he would not have pursued the matter."

"You sure about that?"

"Everything I said to him was more or less true. Even if you did choose him as your partner, Magorian would prefer to have the mateship consummated in the traditional manner within the Circle."

"More or less?"

He shrugged. "Well, to be frank, I doubt in the long-run Magorian would care very much whether either of us took you here or in the sacred Circle. He would prefer it no doubt, but in the end it doesn't really matter where one takes his intended. Thankfully though, Deimos, the god of dread, was apparently with Aonghus today, and blinded him to his good sense."

"Thank heaven for small favours then." She moved to sit down on a large boulder, rubbing her shoulders. "Why are you here by the way?"

He shrugged. "I saw you leave the herding ground with him. Thought I'd better keep an eye on you, just in case."

She nodded, keeping silent for a moment.

"Are you all right?"

"Define _all right_?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry," he said hurriedly, holding up his hands as an apology. "I meant no disrespect."

"This isn't going to go away, isn't it," she said, stating a fact instead of asking a question. Firenze knew instantly what she was referring to, namely the choice being forced upon her.

"No, it isn't," he replied simply.

Rebecca made a sound that was like half a sob and half a laugh. "I know it's stupid," she revealed. "I knew they were going to make me do it one way or another. But I guess… I don't know… I guess that after I managed to stop Magorian rap…taking me. I thought maybe I could find another way to stop it again when the time came."

Although she had come to accept what had happened, she still found it hard to say the word.

"You merely delayed the inevitable," Firenze told her. He knew he sounded unsympathetic, but there was no way he could make this sound any less horrible than it was. "Magorian was not exaggerating in his words. He meant what he said. When the sun sets tomorrow, if you have not chosen your intended, then the choice will be made for you."

She gave a bitter snort. "Some choice."

They remained quiet for a few minutes after that, Rebecca not wanting to talk and Firenze not knowing what to say. Eventually though, he spoke. "Would you care to walk with me for a while?"

She sighed, shrugging her shoulder in mock defeat. "Why not? It's not like I have anything better to do." She got up to walk beside him. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, Firenze?"

"Oh?"

She gave another sigh. "It's not like I have had able time to think this over, but in the end I guess it all boils down to… Well, that is…" She stopped for a moment, looking up into his blue eyes. "Firenze, there is nothing I want more than to leave this accursed forest and go home, but that is becoming increasingly unlikely every day. And since I have no choice in the matter, and I will be forced either way to be…_mated_. I have come to the decision, given what little choice I do have, that if I have to take a mate, then… I would have it be you."

Firenze looked down, startled, at her. "Me?" he asked for clarification. "You want me to be your first intended?"

Rebecca nodded. "I can't say you're my favourite guy," she revealed, still hurt at the way he had not come to her rescue at the Circle. "But out of all the Centaur' herd, I have to say you are the one I least hate, and the one that, given the choice, I would most prefer to give myself to."

'Not that I have any choice,' she thought bitterly, but kept silent. She was still hurt at Firenze's reluctance to aid her when they had held her down in that damn Circle, despite their previous talk about it. Firenze had pledged his case to her, talking about a Centaur's honour, duty and all that, and she had accepted that that was very important to him and his kind…but it still hurt nonetheless.

Firenze remained quiet for a moment, but then he lowered himself down on his front legs, kneeling before her. "It would be an honour, my lady Rebecca, to be your first intended."

She blushed a little at his formalism, but replied with a simple nod. "Thanks. Now, you said something about a walk?"

Firenze smiled, and continued walking deeper into the forest, with her beside him, neither of them noticing the pair of hard-set eyes watching their every step.

**To Be Continued… **


	8. Chapter 8

_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_

_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beast like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._

_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_

_**This fic is based during 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban'!**_

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**Forbidden Forest: **

Rebecca and Firenze walked further into the forest, Firenze pointing out all the various forms of plant-life to her, and Rebecca listening with genuine interest. She had never spent much time learning about horticulture, but she was fascinated with the amount of knowledge Firenze possessed.

"This plant here is called Monkshood," he said, pointing to a tall stem with numerous yellow flowers growing out of it.

"Oh, how pretty!" she said, eyeing the yellow buds.

"Yes, it is a lovely sight," he admitted. "But it is also one of the most poisonous plants there is!"

She gasped, looking at him. "Surely not?"

He nodded. "From what I understand, your people once used this plant to poison wolves. As a result, you gave it another name…Wolfsbane."

"But it's so beautiful. How could anything be so deadly?"

Firenze shrugged. "One should never judge anything by appearance, as beauty can be a powerful deceiver. Like the Sirens of my ancestor's homeland, who appeared as beautiful women, luring men into their lair with their angel-like singing, only to devour them whole once they had them."

Rebecca grimaced. "But this isn't a Siren, it's a plant."

"True, but the same law can apply to anything or any_one_," he explained. "Like the Pitcher plant that catches insects, thanks to the sweet nectar in its cavity. Or when someone takes the blood of a beautiful unicorn to sustain their own life, but at the same time curses themselves for all eternity."

"What?" she asked, looking blankly at him.

"Nothing."

They moved on for a little while longer, with Firenze continuing to point out the various plants, and Rebecca listening intently. So engrossed were they with each other and the plants that they failed to spot the trouble in their path.

"Agh!" Firenze hissed, as something sliced open his hide.

"What is it?" she asked, looking to him in concern.

Firenze looked behind him, to his side. He paused briefly, but then simply said, "It's nothing. There are some nettle and thorn bushes here that I did not notice. One of them cut my skin."

She looked over his side, and gasped. "What kind of thorn bushes are those? They look like giant mutants!" The bush she had exclaimed over looked almost like a regular thorn bush, except its thorns were as long and as sharp as small daggers. The bush had nine branches, and some small red and orange flowers.

He shrugged. "There are many plants in this forest that you would not have heard about in your own world, Rebecca. Most of them are harmless, just a little different, such as this one. It's basically a regular thorn bush, just a little bit larger than what you're used to."

"Here, let me see your wound."

"It's nothing," he insisted. "Merely a scratch."

"Let me see!" she told him firmly.

He frowned in annoyance, but in the end relented, turning a little to the side so that she could get a better look at the supposed wound. "See, I told you it was nothing."

"That doesn't look like nothing to me!" she said. The cut itself didn't look too serious. It was a bit deep, located at the side of his right flank, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a short time. However, the area around the cut had already begun to swell, and despite the hair covering his hide, she could see his skin glow a dark red hue. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

He sighed. "It's nothing too serious," he assured her. "Those thorns that scratched me are of a plant we call the Lerna Hydras, named after the Lernaeon Hydra of ancient legend, for its poisonous breath."

"Poison?"

"Nothing that can't be cured quickly," he promised. "And even then it takes at least a few hours for the poison to take full affect."

"What can I do?" she asked urgently.

"Nothing that can't wait until after we get back to the Herding Ground. Safyph has more than enough healing medicines, including something for this. I will be fine until we…"

"What can I do?" she insisted again. "I am NOT going to continue walking about while you've got some deadly poison in you, so tell me what to do!"

Firenze opened his mouth to speak again, but then sighed, realizing the futility of it. He already knew Rebecca well enough to know that when she got an idea in her head, she rarely gave up so easily. "Very well," he said finally. "Help me look around for another plant we call the Herculean. Named after the hero who vanquished the Hydra. It is a large plant, and usually grows close by the Hydras, so it should be fairly easy to spot. It has large gold-coloured leaves growing out from its stem, and some red berries at the top of it."

Rebecca did as she was told, hurrying to look for the plant. She and Firenze went in opposite directions, though Firenze never took his eyes off her. He was more concerned about her safety than he was about his own health.

Luckily, though, she had gone no more than a few metres before she found the plant in question. "Found it!" she called out.

"Good!" he yelled back. "Bring me some of the berries!"

When she hurried back, with the small fruit cupped in the palms of both her hands, he cocked one of his eyebrows at her. "I only meant a few, Rebecca," he told her. "Not the whole crop."

She ignored him though. "What do we do next?"

It was here that Firenze hesitated again, this time a few moments longer than before, as this was part of the reason why he had wanted to get the cure back at the Herding Ground instead of here. "Umm, I…" he began hesitantly.

"Well?"

"Well, you see… Before you administer the antidote, you need to…"

"Yes?"

He sighed. "You need to suck out the poison first," he admitted, wondering how she would respond to that.

He needn't have worried though, for she wasted no time and dropped the berries next to her feet on the ground, pressed her hands against both sides of the infected wound to squeeze some of the poison out, and then pressed her own lips to it, sucking hard, seemingly without care.

If not for all the hair covering his entire face, Firenze's cheeks would have been a very bright red, as she squeezed his backside tighter to force more of the poison out.

She sucked as much of the poison out as she could, then turned her head and spat it out of her mouth onto the ground. She did this for a few minutes, until Firenze told her that would be enough.

"That'll do," he said breathlessly. "Now, take the berries and grind them into a paste."

After wiping her mouth, she looked around and spotted a couple of rocks lying in the thicket. She went over to retrieve them, brought them back over to where she had dropped the berries, placed them upon one of the rocks, and then proceeded to mash them with the second.

"Now you'll need something to act as a bandage, as the paste needs to be held over my wound for at least an hour," he instructed.

She paused for a moment, and then reached down to the hem of her robe, ripping off a piece.

Firenze seemed shocked, as he heard the rip and looked over to see her as she took the small piece of cloth. "Your robe!" he almost exclaimed, but she hushed him.

"It's only a bit of wool," she chided him. "It's not worth fussing over. Now hold still!"

She grabbed a handful of the mashed up berries, rubbed them into the cloth, and then did another quick look around the area of the forest they were in. She then grabbed a few vines hanging from a Willow tree, using them as a string to tie the cloth over his back-leg and bandage his wound.

"Hold still!" she said sharply, as Firenze kept fidgeting.

"Kind of hard to," he replied quietly, his tail swishing wildly as she ran her fingers over his wound. Each touch from her was like having a hundred fairies dancing on his skin.

"There! That should do till it heals," she explained, as she finished tying the bandage onto him.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. He inspected the bandaged wound, impressed. "I was unaware that you were skilled in the art of healing."

She shrugged. "You were the one telling me what to do. I just followed instructions."

"Maybe, but I didn't tell you to use the Willow vines as string for the bandage, which you used part of your own clothes for. You were most resourceful."

"I made do with what we had. I couldn't…" She stopped, blushing for a moment. "I couldn't risk anything happening to you."

"I thank you, and am most grateful for your assistance. But I did tell you that I would have been all right until we returned to the Herding Ground."

"I know, but…" she paused again, but this time she hung her head down low, looking at the ground.

Firenze moved closer to her, cupping her chin in his large hand, lifting her eyes, which now shone like clear crystal, as tears fell down from them, to his. "What is it?" he asked.

"You are literally the only person I have closest to a friend in this place, Firenze," she choked, her voice breaking down into sobs. "If something were to happen to you, then who would I have? Who?"

She wept bitterly, as Firenze removed his hand from her chin. He had no words to answer her with, so instead he took her by the shoulders, bringing her closer to him, and wrapped her up in his arms.

She continued to weep a few minutes longer, neither shouting nor resisting his embrace. Gradually, her sobs dwindled into mere whimpers, and finally she became quiet once more, yet still she did not remove herself from him. Firenze made no comment, nor did he even attempt to disengage himself from her either.

They remained that way for a few minutes more, until she eventually put her hands against his broad chest, gently pushing him back from her. "Thank you," she said honestly.

"You sounded as if you really needed it," he said, earning a hot blush from her.

"I don't…?" she started, but Firenze was quick to explain.

"I meant that sometimes words are of no real comfort to a person. Sometimes, all one really needs is to be held." He smiled. "The tiniest gesture can mean more than a thousand words."

"Centaur wisdom?" she said, smiling a little.

"Actually, it comes from one of your people, an elderly wizard who sometimes walks the hidden paths of our forest. I speak to him sometimes."

"Sounds like someone I should talk to."

"Shall we return to camp now?"

She shook her head. "No. If you don't mind, I'd like to put off going back there for as long as possible?"

"As you wish." He extended his arm to her, which she hooked with her own, and the two of them walked further into the forest.

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As they descended deeper into the forest, neither of them noticed the hard-set eyes watching their every step.

Bane's face was twisted with a snarl, as he glared at the young human and Centaur. It was no secret that he had never been fond of the idea of letting the human stay with them, even after he agreed that having her as a Breeder would benefit them all.

He had noticed the human leave the herding ground with Aonghus, followed soon after by Firenze. Adair had been about to go after them, to keep an eye on the human, but Bane had insisted on going on in his place. Mostly because if the human was planning to make another escape, he wanted to be the one to catch her…and make her pay!

So far, it didn't look like she was going to make another bid to escape, which was a bitter disappointment to him. Worse yet, Firenze had allowed her to help him when he had gotten himself poisoned by the Lerna Hydras. How he could allow a mere human to help him was beyond him.

Magorian had decreed that they weren't to touch the human until she had her choice in a mate, unless she attempted to escape or could not choose. His leader's word was their law, and Bane would obey it with his dying breath, but…there were some laws he wished he could just forget.

Bane hated humans with a passion. Their total disregard for nature, destroying their trees and forest-life, it was sacrilege to him and his kind. If not for the peace treaty their ancestors had made with the sorcerers a millennium ago, his herd would have waged war long ago.

He had even less respect for Firenze, despite him being a fellow Centaur and brother of their herd. Firenze had always shown a keen interest in humans, and his willingness to help that human boy two years ago had done nothing to sway Bane's belief in that regard. And the way Firenze had allowed the boy to ride on his back like a common horse had been nothing less than humiliating to himself and their whole race.

He had followed them all, keeping out of Aonghus's way when he left to return home, and watched when Firenze got himself scratched on the Hydras plant. It was nothing that couldn't be cured back at the herding ground. He didn't know why he had let the human administer the cure.

He had to admit that out of all the Centaurs in the herd, the human seemed to show the most respect and affection for Firenze, which he supposed made sense. It was only logical that she would have feelings for the one Centaur who acted the most like one of her own kind. That was another reason Bane didn't get along with him as well as he did with his other brothers.

Another thing that was aggravating him was that despite the human showing obvious feelings for him; Firenze did not seem to be taking advantage of these emotions by taking her as his own.

'If he's planning to help her escape…' he thought, enraged. It wouldn't surprise him, as Firenze had more than made clear his feelings on keeping the human as their Breeder.

'Another weakness of his,' he thought irritably, and decided to remain close by in secret. His skill in stealth far exceeded Firenze's, so he had no concerns about the other sensing him.

His hooves were silent, as he made his way through the forest growth, continuing to follow them.

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Rebecca and Firenze went deeper into the forest. They had started out simply walking side by side, but had since then evolved to walking arm in arm. Whatever anxiety she had been feeling had dissipated somewhat.

As they walked, he continued pointing out to her the various plants they passed. He also mentioned a few of the forest's landmarks, such as the white rock and large Ash tree they were approaching.

"We call it the First Peace," he stated. "It is where our ancestors and the first sorcerers formed the peace treaty all those centuries ago, which allowed us to live here peacefully."

'Funny sort of peace,' she thought, considering her incarceration, but knew better than to say it out loud. "It's very nice, but…" She frowned. "Why does it look like a tornado blew through here?" There were chunks of the white rock scattered all across the area.

"Before it became a place to discuss peace," he explained, "it was a battlefield where our herd fought with the sorcerers. There were many who did not agree with the idea of making peace with the humans, and even after the treaty was forged, some of them chose instead to go rogue, in an attempt to continue the fight. They didn't succeed, but even after the war finally ended, they chose to remain in isolation, forming their own clans. Their descendants live today in smaller herds across the land."

She shrugged. "Doesn't sound that much different from human treaties. Every time a treaty is signed, there's always the odd few or more who don't like the changes that it may bring, so they want to sabotage it and keep things the way they are."

"Many creatures are often afraid of change," he replied. "Yet change is a way of life. You can no more stop it than you can stop the sun from rising in the morning or setting at night. My herd knew that, and in time, though not for a good many years, they all came to accept it and move on."

Rebecca suddenly winced, kneeling down to massage her ankle.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think I've just got a blister, that's all."

"Let me see."

"No really, it's…" But Firenze had already made her sit down and take off her shoe, as he knelt down his front to closely examine her foot.

"It doesn't look too bad," he remarked. "But stay down for a few minutes, give your feet a rest. I'll go and get some water to bathe it."

She smiled. "So now I'm _your_ patient, huh?" Though she couldn't see it underneath all the hair on his face, she swore he was blushing.

"I'll be back shortly," he said hurriedly, and practically galloped away through the trees.

'At least I won't have to worry about him being too forceful,' she thought, considering Firenze and the other Centaurs. Out of all of them, she knew for certainty that Firenze would be the most gentle and caring with her. The thought of any of the others taking her was too scary to contemplate.

"A pity we didn't meet some other way, or that we aren't even of the same species," she said to herself. Despite everything, she had grown to like Firenze very much, and if circumstances were different, they might have had something of a future together in the outside world.

'Oh, who am I kidding,' she thought, admonishing herself. 'Do I really think an eight foot high Centaur won't raise any eyebrows in London?'

She knew it was stupid, her thinking about the way things might have been. The truth was, even if they did truly like each other, then this was the only way they could ever be together. If he ever tried coming outside the forest, she knew he would most likely end up straight in some scientist's laboratory somewhere, where no one would ever see or hear of him again.

But did she really care for him?

She frowned, as she contemplated that. Yes, she did care for Firenze a great deal, but was it love? Or was it just because he was the only Centaur that didn't scare the dickens out of her?

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From beyond where she was sitting, Bane glared at the lone human and the spot Firenze had stood just moments ago. Though Firenze hid it well, Bane had known him since his birth, and knew when he was hiding something. And Firenze would never make such a fuss over something as meagre as a stupid blister, if he didn't feel something for whomever the blister was ailing.

Firenze actually cared for the human! The weak-hearted puny son of a Mare actually cared for the human wench. This was even worse than him holding the human in friendship.

Although he hadn't seen or heard any proof of Firenze planning to help her escape, he knew that if Firenze genuinely held feelings for her, something he was now convinced of, he knew there was a definite possibility. Firenze's loyalty had forever been in question, and this was just another piece of evidence against him.

Enraged, he became resolved to one thing…Firenze clearly wasn't going to make this human wench his breeding partner, and if he helped her escape then the herd would lose a Breeder, not to mention being made a laughing stock for letting a human escape, which in itself was a far worse fate in Bane's opinion.

However…he knew that this human was not of the mystical world, but was what the wizards called a Muggle. Therefore, if she were to become tainted by something of the mystical world, such as becoming pregnant by a Centaur, then she would have no place to go. The Muggles would no doubt be shocked and disgusted by her bearing such a child, and the girl would be in disgrace and never able to show her face in public again.

'If she becomes with foal,' he thought, 'then even she will realise that there will be no place for her in the outside world. Only here.'

His decision made, and since he was the only Centaur present besides Firenze, he made his way forward towards the human.

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Rebecca was too deep in thought to separate the sound of Bane's approach from the other forest noises, until he was almost on top of her. His shadow fell across her and she glanced up with a smile. "Firenze? That didn't ta…" She stopped when she saw who it really was. "Bane! W-what are you doing here?"

"Still hoping to run away, I see. Hoping that weakling will help you?" She began to back away, but he matched her step for step, keeping the pressure on.

"I-I'll keep to the bargain," she told him. "I still have a day to choose. Y-you…"

"You hope to escape before then, before the mating, but escape to what? How will your own people treat you when you turn up pregnant by a _monster_? I know all about your people. You'll be an outcast at best."

"B-but…I'm not pregnant!"

"I can change that!" Bane said forcefully, and quickly reached out with his hand, grasping the front of her robe.

She squealed, as she tried to pull away, but he held her easily. "No! He said I could choose, and I still have time."

"Not in my scroll you haven't," Bane countered, shifting his grip to tear away her borrowed robe. She closed her eyes while pulling ineffectually at his hands. The next sound she heard, though, wasn't that of tearing cloth.

[THUNK!]

Bane's hands fell away, and Rebecca opened her eyes in time to see him topple to one side, out cold. Behind him stood Firenze with a very solid looking tree branch clutched in his hands. Looking back and forth between the unconscious Bane and the worried looking Firenze, she quickly realized that this wasn't what either Centaur expected.

Firenze's expression looked to be one both of worry and fear. By assaulting a fellow Centaur of his herd, he had just committed an unforgivable act of treason, which was something that could only be punishable by death or banishment.

Firenze shook off his shock at the action he'd just taken and tossed the branch away. "We should go now, before he wakes up!" he said hurriedly.

Rebecca could only nod meekly in agreement, as he reached down and picked her up in his strong arms, carrying her off as he galloped at full speed through the forest.

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Firenze raced through the woods for a good half hour, running faster than any racehorse Rebecca had ever seen do, while clutching her firmly yet gently to his masculine chest.

Surprisingly, they weren't heading back to the Herding Ground, as she would have expected, but seemingly deeper into the forest. But at the moment, she was too freaked out by her encounter with Bane to wonder about it.

Eventually, they started to slow down, as Firenze's hoof-steps came to a gradual slow trot. "Is he behind us?" she asked.

Firenze merely shook his head. "Doubtful," he replied. "The blow I gave to his head was enough to knock him out for at least an hour. That should give me able time."

"Able time for what?"

"We're here," he suddenly said, ignoring her question.

She looked over in front of them, and saw what looked like a little shack of a house, on the grounds of a huge and imposing castle that overlooked them.

'Okay,' she thought, dumbstruck. 'I know I've been stuck in the forest for a while, but I'm sure I would have remembered seeing an enormous castle outside it before flying in.'

Firenze stopped at just the outskirts of the forest, near where the small shack was, and placed her back on the ground. "Wait here a few moments," he told her. "I will be back shortly."

Before she could ask why, he sped off towards the door of the shack, knocking on it quickly, almost frantically. A few seconds later, the door was opened by the biggest man she had ever seen!

The man was at least 12 feet tall, hugely wide, with a long mane of shaggy black hair, as well as a beard that covered most of his face, and enormous hands and feet that looked big enough to rip and smash through a whole tank. The man was a giant, as there was no other word that she could think of to describe him. He was dressed in a large moleskin coat, apparently with many pockets, at least of what she could see.

The giant looked surprised to see Firenze, and moved aside, seemingly inviting him in, though she couldn't imagine a Centaur, even one such as Firenze, going into anyone's house. Firenze indeed stayed where he was, shaking his head, and continued talking to the large man.

She couldn't hear all the words being exchanged, but she had a pretty good idea of what it was they were discussing…

"A _WHAT_?" the giant thundered in disbelief.

0000000000

When Hagrid opened his door, he never expected to see Firenze, or any other Centaur for that matter, on his front doorstep, Centaurs weren't known to come knocking, as they usually just appeared outside the forest when he was outside his house.

"Why hello, Firenze!" he greeted the young Centaur cheerfully. Hagrid loved and respected all the creatures of the forest, though Centaurs were a little frustrating to him at times, mainly because of their constant obsession with stargazing. Firenze was no exception, though he had always seemed a lot tamer compared to the rest of his race. Centaurs were known for their wild and almost savage behaviour, and were dangerous even at the best of times.

"Didn't expect to see you on my doorstep this evening, if ever," he said. "Don't tell me you're here to sell me something, are you?"

"Sell?" Firenze said in confusion, but shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Look, Hagrid, I'm sorry to bother you again, but I am in dire need of your help."

"Need some more junk from the lost property again?"

"I wish." He sighed. "Hagrid, I am in desperate need of your aid, like none other I've asked for previously."

"What is it?" Hagrid looked at him curiously. As he did, he couldn't help but notice a curious shadowy shape in the forest. At first, he thought it might be the Dementors, but no, this shape was too small for one of their kind.

"I need your help in smuggling someone out of the forest and away from Hogwarts, with no one, not even your high sorcerer Dumbledore, finding out."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "What manner of trouble have you got yourself into, Firenze?" He thought about Sirius Black, wondering if he was the one Firenze was referring to, but he couldn't remember Sirius ever mentioning having any kind of dealings with the Centaurs before. Aside from himself and a few meetings with Dumbledore, the Centaur herd never met with outsiders.

"Only what my herd wished for," his friend replied. "A…a young woman ended up in our herding ground a few days ago. My leader saw her arrival as a gift from the Fates, and decided that she would remain with us as one of our Breeders."

"Say what?"

"Please understand that I was against this from the start," Firenze added hurriedly. "I did my best to dissuade them, but the whole herd was most adamant, and I was honour bound to serve and obey them."

"But…" Hagrid frowned, as he tried to think. "But who is the young lady? There haven't been any disappearances from Hogwarts or Hogsmeade, at least none that I know of. Did the herd take away her wand, so she couldn't escape?"

"No, Hagrid. The female I speak of is not one of your kind."

"Well, I didn't think that, Firenze. I mean, half-giants aren't exactly common to come by, you know…"

"No, my friend. What I mean is…she's not a witch or sorceress."

"Huh?"

He took a deep breath. "She is a…I believe the correct term you use for her kind is…a Muggle?"

"A _WHAT_?" the giant thundered in disbelief. Firenze merely nodded, and pointed over to where Hagrid had seen the shadow. A few seconds later, the shadow moved further into the moonlight, giving them a clearer look. The figure was that of a young human girl, white skin, fair-haired and wearing one of Hogwart's robes, which the half-giant assumed had to be the one Firenze had asked him to retrieve.

Hagrid grabbed Firenze by the shoulder and pulled him close to whisper in a harsh and hurried tone. Though there was no one but the Muggle girl close by, Hagrid wanted to take no chances. "_Firenze, are you out of your mind_?"

It was unlike him to speak like this with a Centaur of all things, let alone grab them and manhandle them so, but in this case Hagrid was not acting his usual self. Later, he would berate himself for acting so disrespectfully, and thank Merlin that it had been Firenze who he had been speaking with, as any other Centaur would have had his head for it.

"How in the name of Merlin did you and your herd ever find a Muggle to begin with?" he all but demanded.

"We didn't find her," Firenze explained. "She wandered into our herding ground by accident. Apparently, her means of transportation had crashed in our forest, and she wandered around until she ended up in our home. I tried to get the herd to send her home, but… Hagrid, you know how small our population has been in recent decades. In ancient times, my race would often take human females as Breeders."

"I remember my history lessons in school, Firenze," Hagrid replied calmly. "I also remember that your herd entered a treaty with the then Wizards to stop abducting women for such a reason."

Hagrid now remembered that there had been an incident involving a few Muggles a week or so ago. One of the Muggle's aircrafts had crash-landed in the Forbidden Forest; two survivors had been found and returned home, after having their memories altered, of course, but one girl who had been with them had yet to be located. It was believed she had not survived the forest's more hazardous inhabitants. Clearly, that was not what had happened.

He also remembered that Firenze had once come to him, asking questions about the incident, but for the moment he saw no reason to bring that up. One problem at a time!

The Centaur shrugged. "Generally speaking, that's not completely accurate… The exact terms of the treaty were that we would not venture outside the bounders of our land and abduct anyone, but the law did not state anything about anyone coming _into_ our land. My herd knew this and took it to consideration, and when they discovered that your people believed the girl to be dead, there didn't seem to be any need to return her."

Hagrid actually looked a little angry, as the thought of anyone who had done nothing wrong being held against their will was as distasteful to him as hunting unicorns. He had, after all, some personal experience in that. But he was also concerned, as this was a lot more serious than mere poaching. The Ministry of Magic was most adamant concerning Muggles and the secret of their world… No Muggle, except for those related to any in the wizarding world, were allowed to bear any knowledge concerning magic.

In the past, every time when the wizards had allowed their secret to be revealed, it had resulted in fear and bigotry among the Muggles. The Inquisition and Salem Witch Trails were prime examples.

"I do not wish to disrespect you or your herd, Firenze," Hagrid said. "But you have to understand the seriousness of this matter! Personally, I'm not too bothered whether Muggles know about us or not, as I know quite a few people who come from Muggle families, and find them to be quite charming people. But the Ministry are real strict when it comes to them finding out about the magical community and its creatures."

"I know!" Firenze snapped. "Believe me, I went through all this with my herd. I tried to convince them to send the human back without incident, but…I was overruled."

"Overruled?" He looked at him curiously, then his eyes widened as he realised. "You mean there was a tribunal?"

At Firenze's nod, Hagrid could only let out a low breath through his teeth in near disbelief. He had, of course, heard about Centaur tribunals from his long fascination with the creatures of the forest, but they were rare, and he hadn't even heard of one being performed in his lifetime. Apparently, the Centaurs had taken this case with the girl very seriously.

"But wait…" he then realised. "If there was a tribunal, and your herd chose to keep the girl, then doesn't that mean…?"

"Yes, Hagrid," Firenze confirmed, almost sadly, for him. "The decision was made, and I, as a son of Chiron and Centaurus, am sworn by honour to uphold whatever decision my herd made."

"But… If your herd chose to keep the girl, then… Why are you bringing her to me?"

The young Centaur sighed. "Because…I am breaking my oath."

If Hagrid's eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have. He had never heard of any Centaur breaking any kind of oath, let alone one made to their entire herd. "Why?" he asked.

He paused for a moment, seemingly considering what he was about to say, as he turned and looked back at the waiting girl for a minute. "I have always been a Centaur of my word, Hagrid. Never doubt that. And I have always had my herd's best interests at heart, and done everything I could for them… And I had fully intended to do as I was sworn to, but when…" He paused.

"When?"

He sighed. "The female was given three days to choose who amongst my herd would be the first to produce a foal with her. Every one in my herd, including I, gave her the time to chose, except one… One of my own herd, a valued and honoured warrior no less, decided for himself to take her without her consent, thereby going against the wishes of our herd and dishonouring himself!" He added the last part a little hostilely, but breathed deep and continued. "I was sworn by honour, and when he did what he did, I considered my oath default. So I decided to take Rebecca back and…"

"Rebecca?"

"That's the female's name. We…" Hagrid could almost swear he saw the Centaur blush a little. "We grew close," he simply added. "I had left her for a short time, and when I returned I found one of my brothers attacking her. I could not bring myself to harm him, so I merely knocked him out from behind and then brought her here."

He looked seriously at Hogwart's gamekeeper. "Hagrid, you are one of the few outsiders my whole herd trusts, and one who I consider a close and personal ally. You have always been friend to the forest and all its creatures, including me. I ask that you help me now in my hour of need."

"Oh, I don't know, Firenze." Hagrid frowned, chewing on his lower lip. "This is a whole lot bigger than asking for a mere pencil and paper, you know."

"I know, Hagrid, and I wouldn't ask this of anyone else, but… " He stared at him. "But you're my only hope. Mine and Rebecca's."

"I could just take her to Dumbledore and…" Hagrid suggested, but was soon interrupted.

"No!" Firenze said forcefully. "I want no one else to know of this, Hagrid. Not even your master Dumbledore. Although I believe him to be a honourable soul, as well as a great sorcerer, I want no one else to know of this. I know how your world works, my friend. If word ever got back to your Ministry of Magic, they would no doubt wipe her mind of all memories concerning us. And I want Rebecca's mind to remain untouched."

Hagrid cringed. Working for Dumbledore, he was used to doing things behind the Ministry's back, but never had he once done it without Dumbledore's request or approval. "Firenze, I…"

Firenze continued staring at him with those pleading blue eyes of his, until finally Hagrid sighed and nodded. "All right then," he relented. "I'll do it."

Firenze smiled. "Thank you, friend Hagrid."

"Beware though," he added warningly. "I have never known Dumbledore to ever miss a trick. If there's a chance at all that he'll find out about any of this, then chances are he will! But…Dumbledore is a good man, on that I vouch my life. If you would trust him to… "

"I'd rather not risk more people than necessary to find out," Firenze insisted. "Please, just try and keep this between us, agreed?"

Hagrid nodded. "As you wish, Firenze. But remember what I said…Rarely anything gets past Dumbledore."

"It'll be worth the risk."

He gave another sigh. "Fine. Bring her over."

Firenze waved at the young Muggle, signalling her to come over quickly. She soon did, while barely keeping her long flowing robes from dragging on the ground. She came to a stop though when they reached them, looking up, up _and up_ at the huge giant in front of her.

"Err, hello?" she said, greeting him hesitantly. "I am Rebecca Leicester."

Hagrid smiled warmly at her. "Pleased to meet ya, young lady," he greeted back. "Name's Hagrid. Firenze here tells me you accidentally stumbled into the Centaurs' Herding Ground, that right?"

"More like _dropped_ in," she murmured, remembering how she had fallen through that bush and right in front of the whole herd.

Hagrid made no sign of having heard her, as he just laughed and added, "Boy, you sure picked the wrong party to crash, didn't you, lass! Bet all this must be a bit strange to you, eh?"

'More than you could ever possibly know,' she thought.

"Okay then," he then added in a more serious tone. "Firenze here has asked me to help you leave here and get back home."

"What?" she said, staring at him and then at her Centaur friend in disbelief. Firenze merely nodded his head in confirmation.

"Normally," he continued, "most Muggles aren't allowed to remember anything about the world of magic. Any who are found have their memories altered or wiped."

Rebecca started to feel nervous again, wondering if this giant was planning to play jigsaw with her mind.

"But don't worry," he said assuredly. "Firenze asked me to help, and I never turn away from a friend in need! I'll arrange some way for you to get back home without the Ministry of Magic finding out. That way, you can go home and keep your memories intact. Just make sure you remember never to breath a word about anything you've seen out here, okay?"

Meekly, she nodded her head.

"All right then! I have an idea about how to get you home, so you just stay here for the moment. I'll be right back." With that, he turned and made his way past the shack and over to another section of the forest, disappearing momentarily into the growth.

"Why?" was all she could say, as she stared at Firenze, her mind still having not fully accepted the fact that Firenze was helping her to escape, after all the times she had begged and pleaded with him to help her, only to have him refuse.

Firenze gave what almost sounded like a low growl. "Because of Bane," he replied. "I know that you find our ways peculiar, Rebecca, but our code of honour, although complex, is our most sacred law! Magorian gave you three days to choose your would-be mate, and Bane tried to usurp your right! As far as I am concerned, when he did that he annulled my oath to keep you within our herd."

"Just…like that?" she asked unsurely.

He frowned. "Not completely," he admitted. "Please remember that Bane is still my brother, just as much as Magorian and all my herd are. I am doing this not only for you, but for him as well."

"How so?"

He gave a sigh. "Bane has always had a distinct hatred of humans. He dislikes them for the way they disrespect nature by cutting down forests and hunting various animals to extinction. I believe there are other words to his story, but I know not what they are. I do know, however, that if you were to remain then it would do more harm than good. Bane's hate might simply overwhelm him, as it always has in his past."

"Even if I were to have already chosen a mate?"

"That may help, assuming he kept his anger in check until then, but as I said, Bane has always let his anger control him. It's one of his greatest strengths, yet also his fatal weakness."

On that she agreed whole-heartedly, remembering how he had attacked her. She shivered momentarily in fear.

"Are you well?" Firenze asked, noticing her shiver.

"I'm fine," she said assuredly. "But I am worried…" She stared at him in concern. "Firenze…what will happen to you if I leave? You were with me last, and Bane must have seen you!"

He held out his hand, stalling her. "Yes, I was with you, but Bane can also attest that I had left you during the time that he approached you."

"But you knocked him out with that branch."

"_Someone_ knocked him out," he explained. "But Bane can no more say for certain that it was me who attacked him than Magorian or even Merlin himself." He added, "Even we Centaurs require definite evidence before condemning someone, my dear Rebecca. If my brothers went around accusing each other of anything, without proof, then most of my herd would all be in exile by now."

"Can't they just…you know…do that magical thing you did with the fire and powder, to see what happened?" she said, remembering the Divination Ceremony.

He shook his head. "We can see certain aspects of the future, yes, but the past and the present…they elude us."

She chewed her lower lip in concern. "You're certain that nothing will come of this, to you?"

He shrugged. "I am certain that it will leave what you humans call a black mark on my reputation, and I doubt my brothers will trust me anytime in the near future…but no, besides that, nothing dire will become of me."

In truth, he wasn't quite certain of that outcome, but he was being honest about the Centaurs not doing anything unless they had definite proof.

"What will happen now?" she asked.

"My friend Hagrid will see to your return. But once there, you must swear never to reveal anything of what you have seen or experienced here. No one must ever know about the existence of magic! It was one of the few things that all magical creatures and beings agreed upon centuries ago."

She nodded. "I promise I will never tell," she said, and then gave a small laugh. "Not that anyone would ever believe me anyway. I mean, who would ever believe a crazy story like that, that I had been held captive by a herd of Centaurs?"

"Even so," he explained gravely. "There is always the chance that there will be some humans who may believe, and they in turn could lead to others. It takes only the tiniest grain to tip the scales, after all."

"I swear, Firenze, I will never do or say anything that could bring harm to you or yours," she vowed. "On my life!"

He nodded, smiling. "I believe you wouldn't, and I take you on your word. You are an honourable soul, Rebecca Leicester."

She smiled back at him.

A moment or two passed, as they just stood there waiting patiently for Hagrid to return, until finally Rebecca asked the question that had been on her mind for a while.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"When I asked you if you would be my…" she paused, trying to find the right words, "…. my mate. Why did you say yes?"

"Why?" he looked at her curiously.

"What I mean is, what was the reason for your answer? Did you agree because you felt sorry for me, or that you wanted to help me? Or did you…" She paused again, as she had just been about to ask if he had merely done it because, like all the other Centaurs, he had been eager for the chance to reproduce with her, but stopped herself, as she had learned long since then that Firenze was definitely not that kind of Centaur. "Or was there some other reason?" she asked finally.

Firenze looked at her kindly, his deep blue eyes looking right at her. "Rebecca Leicester, you are without a doubt one of the strongest, bravest and most gifted humans I have ever met. Any male, whether they be Centaur or not, would be a king amongst kings of fools not to join you in mateship."

She blushed, her cheeks reddening a little.

"Had things turned out different," he then added. "I would have been more than honoured if someone, such as thee, would consent to be my mate."

Her cheeks then blushed bright red.

"Even now, my body wishes of me to take you back to my herd now, _not as a prisoner_," he said quickly, noticing her slight alarm, "but as my official mate. My soul would truly blossom, as well as relish in the wake of our courtship."

She said nothing, but her eyes said plenty, as she stared at him, taken aback with his kind words, knowing that he truly meant what he was saying.

"To have you as my mate would be nothing short of heaven, would that I could take you, but…" He then looked at her with a grim tone to his stance. "But…I already suspect what your answer would be, if I were to ask you."

She sighed, knowing the answer to that, too. Part of her actually wanted to try remaining in the forest with him, but…

"I wish I could, Firenze. As Centaurs go, you're not half bad looking, and you are undoubtedly one of the finest gentleman…err, gentle-_beasts_ that I have come across in my entire life. If I were looking for a husband, I could ask for none finer than you."

"But you will not come back with me," he stated.

She shook her head sadly. "I wish I could," she said honestly. "I meant what I said, Firenze. You are definitely someone I could envision a life with…"

Strangely enough, she meant every word she was speaking. Despite the difference in species, she couldn't imagine any male more decent, honourable, kind-hearted, sweeter or braver than him. Here he was, risking his honour and life to save someone, when his herd had made him swear not to. Their time together, despite all the hardships she had gone through with the rest of his herd, had been one of the best times of her life, and even now the thought of leaving him was heart wrenching to her.

"But…" she started to say.

"But although you can envision a life with me, you cannot envision a life with the rest of my herd," he finished for her.

She nodded.

He moved his weight from hoof to hoof. "You know…if you were to accept me as your mate, then by the law of my race, they could do nothing more to you. They would leave you in peace. It is forbidden for any Centaur to take on an unwilling partner, if they are already joined with a mate."

"I'm sure they would…but that isn't the only reason," she rubbed her shoulder consciously. "First of all, there's Bane. You yourself said how much he hates my kind and me. Even if you and I were mated, do you really think he would hate me any less?"

Firenze frowned, knowing she had him there. As far as Bane's hatred of humans went, there were no boundaries.

"And even if he weren't the only obstacle," she added. "I'm not sure that I… In fact, I'm positive that I could never stand living with an entire Centaur herd for my rest of life!"

"I see," he said quietly.

"Oh no, please don't take it like that!" she added quickly. "What I meant was… Well, your herd is a very hostile and…_wild_ people, aren't they? Being with them is like being with a frat party 24/7."

Firenze shrugged and nodded, knowing that his people's wild and lustful nature was well known, though secretly wondering what a frat party was. "I suppose being with them constantly would be an acquired taste," he admitted.

"Just one day with them is enough to leave me exhausted. But not only that…" She looked at him almost regretfully. "Firenze, I'm sorry, but truthfully whenever I am with those of your herd, I fear for my life, among other things. It's not just Bane, but all of your herd. They're just too wild and dangerous for me to ever feel safe, and I..."

"I know, I do understand," he replied, and added sadly, "You are not the first of any race who has feared or grown weary of my people, Rebecca. Many who have met my kind have often said what you just said."

"But I want you to know something, Firenze… Thank you."

"For what?" He looked at her curiously.

She half-smiled. "Honestly, there were a lot of times with your herd that made me want to scream and cower in fear. I hated a lot of them, including you for a time. Yet…despite everything, being with you had been one of the most fun times in my entire life. I wouldn't change anything if it meant not being with you."

He smiled back. "You're welcome…and thank you for the compliment."

She gave a quiet laugh.

"What do you intend to do now?" he then asked.

"How do you mean?"

"When you return home, what will you do then?"

She shrugged. "I suppose I'll go onto Oxford or Cambridge, learn medicine like my parents had planned for me…"

Suddenly, Firenze started to laugh.

"What?"

Firenze continued laughing for another moment before he stopped and stared at her. "Are you absolutely serious about what you just said?"

Shrugging, she replied, "Well…yes."

He snorted. "Well, I guess you're not as brave or strong as I thought you were then."

"What do you mean?" she said indignantly.

He scoffed. "Rebecca, look at everything you have been through! Since coming to this forest, you have been abducted by my herd, a race you didn't know even existed, had everything you thought you knew thrown into chaos, been humiliated, abused, threatened, terrified for your life, and many other things… Yet, despite all that, you have managed to pull through and find your way out of here."

He walked up to her, taking her by the shoulders, staring right into her eyes. "No human I know of could have accomplished all of that. Your spirit is far stronger than even the elder Safyph could have predicted. And now you are telling me that you are going to go back home and follow a destiny that someone else has planned for you…a destiny you do not even want?"

"How do you know that I don't want it?"

"Oh please, Rebecca!" He scoffed again. "I knew from the day you first mentioned it that you had no great desire to become a healer! It is clear you are only following the predictions made for you by your sires, not the ones you yourself desire!"

She glared at him, but spoke quietly. "Say you're right. Say I don't want to be a doctor…or healer as you say…what am I supposed to be then?"

"Whatever you want to be," he told her simply. "You are your own person, Rebecca. It's your life, so make your choices concerning your own future based on what is right for you, and not what's right for your sires." He shrugged. "You were quite talented in that portrait you did of me. Perhaps you should consider life as an artist?"

She gasped. "But there has never been an artist in my family before!"

"Then you can be the first."

She opened her mouth, but could not find the words to speak. "I'll…try," she said finally.

"That is all I ask," he said, smiling.

Suddenly, there was a sound like something akin to a bird's caw and horse's neigh. Rebecca momentarily forgot about Firenze and turned around…to see what she first thought was the world's largest eagle. That is, until she peered closer and found that this eagle had the backend of a horse!

Hagrid came walking up to them, smiling broadly, with the strange creature walking proudly beside him. "Sorry to keep y'all waiting," he said, grinning at them. "But I've got you your transport."

"What…is…_that_?" Rebecca managed to say, staring wide-eyed at the eagle-horse.

Hagrid stopped a few yards from where they were, and turned back to look at odd animal with pride. "This here's Buckbeak!"

"Buckbeak?" She stared at it in amazement. 'You would think after living with a herd of Centaurs for a week, nothing would surprise me by now,' she thought.

"It's a Hippogriff, Rebecca," Firenze explained. "One of the many magical creatures native to this forest. Part eagle, part horse, similar to my kind. Some of my herd even consider them distant relatives."

"Huh," she said unsurely, still not taking her eyes off the big orange ones of the beast, as it seemed to be following her every move.

"I'm actually glad you've come this evening now," Hagrid then said brightly. "Dumbledore's made me his new Care of Magical Creatures Professor! And I'm gonna be using Buckbeak in my first lesson, so I'll need the practise!"

"_Practise_?" she asked, but Hagrid was already continuing, talking to her as though she were his pupil.

"Now, first thing yeh gotta know about Hippogriffs is, they're proud! Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do…"

'_Oh yeah, that's going to make a great start to the lesson.' _

"You always wait fer the Hippogriff to make the first move. It's polite, see? You walk towards him, and you bow, an' you wait. If he bows back, you're allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"I don't suppose I could just take the bus?"

At Hagrid and Firenze's curious stares, she sighed. "Didn't think so."

"Come on now, it's easy," Hagrid insisted, taking her by the arm and leading her in front of him towards Buckbeak. "Just do what I told you, don't panic, and everything will work out…most of the time."

'_Most of the time_?'

"Now, as I said, let him make the first move," he said, stepping back from her. "Bow to him, then wait to see if he bows back."

Rebecca felt her teeth beginning to chatter, as her eyes went back to the Hippogriff's big orange ones. The way it looked at her reminded her of the way that giant spider had looked at her, her first day in the forest. When it started edging towards her slightly, she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from turning tail and running.

"Make your bow!" Hagrid repeated, gently but firmly.

Swallowing her fear, she curtseyed before the great beast, just as she would for all the politicians and diplomats that had come to her parent's house. She felt a bit silly doing such a thing for a mere animal, but if what Hagrid had said about these creature's sense of pride was true, then she didn't want to take any chances.

It cawed loudly, cocking its head at her, as though trying to figure her out.

"Keep still!" Hagrid told her, his voice low but sharp. "Don't take your eyes off of his for an instant, and don't blink, okay?"

She cursed lowly. Why was it that whenever someone asked you not to blink your eyes, you always found yourself wanting to? But she did as she was told, and kept perfectly still, her eyes never leaving the Hippogriffs.

A few moments past, as Buckbeak stared at her with those brilliant orange eyes of his, and then he took a few cautious steps towards her, and finally… He bowed to her! He did it in a way similar to the way that she had seen some circus-show horses had done, by lowering his head down to the ground, with his front right leg raised halfway up.

"Well done, Miss Leicester!" Hagrid exclaimed joyfully, clapping his hands. "Nicely done!" He reached into a pouch tied around his waist, and then threw something at Buckbeak for him to catch. "Here y'are, ya big brute, you."

Buckbeak caught what looked like a dead rabbit, and chewed noisily on it with his steel-coloured beak. The sounds he made with that beck of his did nothing to ease Rebecca's nerves, but at least she seemed to have gotten through the worst of it now… Hadn't she?

"Now walk towards him and give him a pat," Hagrid urged her.

'Spoke too soon.' She moaned, as she started walking towards Buckbeak.

"Not too fast, mind you!" Hagrid instructed. "Hold your hand out so that he knows what yer planning. But don't rush it. If he gives ya any nastiness, slow down."

She swallowed again, edging herself forward. Almost immediately, Buckbeak doubled back, cawing loudly at her again.

"Keep still!" Hagrid ordered her, and once Buckbeak had calmed down. "Okay, start moving again, but slower this time."

She tiptoed closer to Buckbeak, each step feeling like it was lasting hours while Buckbeak's looming presence seemed to be coming to her at warp speed. She kept her hand held out to him, as he looked at it curiously.

"Slowly," Hagrid repeated. "Slowly…let him come to you."

She felt the lump of fear in her throat grow, but stood still where she was, and when Buckbeak realised she wasn't coming towards him anymore, he started to come to her.

'Ohhh darn it!' She wanted to close her eyes, to get away from the Hippogriff's stare, but remembered that was what Hagrid had warned her against doing, so she kept still.

Buckbeak came slowly toward her. As he reached her, he slightly nudged her hand with his beak, and then with the rest of his head, as he moved it beneath her hand.

Rebecca swallowed the lump in her throat away, as she began petting him the way she did her dogs back home, as she stroked the soft feathers on his head, feeling their soft feathery touch, softer than a baby's blanket. She had barely started to pet him, when Buckbeak began to caw softly at her touch.

"Oh, excellent work, Miss Leicester!" Hagrid applauded, clapping his hands. "Buckbeak rarely warms up to anyone that fast!"

She laughed nervously at that, but smiled warmly as Buckbeak nudged her with his beak, when she stopped stroking him, eager for her to continue.

"And now that that's over with," Hagrid then added. "You're ready to ride him!"

"Say that again?" she said, turning instantly away from Buckbeak and staring straight at the giant, her eyes wide.

"Well, ride him, of course," Hagrid said, laughing. "He's your ticket outta here, obviously."

"_Ride_ him?" she said, flabbergasted. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely! Buckbeak's perfectly safe once you've gotten to know him, which you already have. He can't take you all the way to London, but he can take you beyond Hogsmeade, and over to where the Muggles and that there airport of theirs is. He can drop you off there, and you can go to them, tell them that… Well, just make something up."

Rebecca just continued staring at the beaked horse, as it cawed at her some more; her mind feeling like it was beginning to tilt. 'I'm supposed to ride this thing?'

"You don't have anything to worry about, Rebecca," Firenze reassured her. "Hagrid spoke the truth when he said that once you and the Hippogriff got to know one another, you have nothing to fear. As long as you continue to treat it with respect, it will not harm you."

Rebecca chewed her lower lip anxiously, but finally she just nodded, indicating that she would try at least. "Okay."

"Great!" Hagrid boomed. "So, no time like the present then, huh! Let me give you a hand up."

"No, wait," she replied, stopping him. "May I have a private moment with Firenze first, please?"

"Uhh, sure." Hagrid looked at them curiously, but shrugged and left them to their business.

"I just wanted to say…well…thank you, I guess," she said hesitantly.

"You have nothing to thank me for," Firenze told her honestly. "I only wish I could have done this sooner."

She half-smiled at him. "You did what you could at the time. I know how deeply you and your race commit yourselves to your code of honour and all that. I understand that now. I only wish I could know for certain that you'd be all right after helping me."

"I promise you, everything will be fine. Bane has nothing on me, and even if he does, the worst my herd can do to me is send me into exile." In truth, that was something far worse to a Centaur than death, but Firenze chose not to burden her with this knowledge. "And I do have some friends outside the herd who can help me, should the worst happen."

He gave her one of those gentle smiles that she had grown to love. It lit up his face, made his blue eyes shone, and she smiled back. "It would have been nice," she then said.

"Perhaps…in another time and place," Firenze added. "My herd believe that one's life never truly ends. It merely changes. Like for every chapter that ends in a story, there is always another ready to begin."

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

Firenze looked down, almost sadly, at his hooves pawing softly at the ground. "I…am unsure," he said finally. "It…is unlikely. However, my kind does not believe that anything in the universe is certain."

She stared at him for a moment, and then marched up to him. "Firenze, before I go, I want to give you something."

"Wha-mmm?" His voice devolved into muffles, as Rebecca rose up to him at tiptoe, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips touched his.

Rebecca had been nervous, to say the least, when she decided that she would kiss Firenze goodbye, but it just seemed right at the time. That didn't mean though that she wasn't feeling a little weird about kissing someone who was literally half horse. Even the part of him that was man definitely looked like no human that she had ever seen before.

Yet when she kissed him, she found the sensation to be less than disconcerting, and soon found herself forgetting all the differences between them, as his soft lips moved over hers, his warm taste filling her mouth. His strong arms enveloped her, the muscles in them bulging, as they pressed her to his masculine chest, holding her close.

They remained that way for several minutes, Firenze running his fingers through Rebecca's hair, and her hands feeling the soft pelt of his skin, until at last they broke away.

She gave him a quick smile. "I suppose now would be the appropriate time to say I'll never forget you, Firenze," she half-laughed. "But somehow I think that all goes without saying, as…who in their right mind could ever forget someone like you, or all of this?"

Firenze said nothing at first, and just stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers, staring at her. "Be safe, Rebecca. Be strong. But most of all…be happy."

She nodded, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"All right, miss, time to go!" Hagrid called over to them.

She didn't look at Firenze again, knowing that if she did she'd just tear up again and wouldn't be able to stop, so she turned around and hurried over to the half-giant as fast as she could.

"Now, there's nothing to it," he explained to her, as he took her under her shoulders and casually lifted her onto the Hippogriff's back. "Just let Buckbeak do all the flying. He knows where to go. Once he's dropped you off at that place near the Muggle's, he'll fly right back here. Just you make sure not to tell anyone where you've been or anything, y'hear? Just say you were lost or something, or that you don't remember. Maybe make them believe you have that, err, mental thing that people have when they forget something…"

"Amnesia?"

"That's it! Now hold on tight, and Merlin be with you, okay!" Hagrid smiled, and when she smiled back at him, he slapped Buckbeak's flank, causing him to flap out his wings and take a running jump.

She resisted the urge to squeal and scream, clutching Buckbeak's neck for dear life and closing her eyes, as he ran a few steps before spreading his wings.

She felt the wind start blowing through her hair, and the ground beneath Buckbeak's hooves disappear, as she felt their combined weight seemingly grow light. She forced herself to open her eyes, and nearly shut them again, as she saw what looked like half of the forest directly below her.

"My God," she whispered in awe.

Buckbeak cawed, as he soared through the air with Rebecca on his back. Hagrid had given him instructions, in his own special way, of where he was to go and then to return. He turned to the right, flying in a half-circle, back to where they had just come from.

Rebecca could just make out Firenze and Hagrid below, waving at them goodbye, but at that moment something else caught her eye.

She couldn't understand why she hadn't seen it before, but then she and Firenze had been travelling through the densest part of the forest, and when they emerged they were right at Hagrid's house, so she hadn't had a chance to even think of looking up to see beyond it.

Firenze had mentioned it to her, and she was even now wearing one of its pupil's robes that he had given her… Hogwarts' Castle!

The sight before her was astounding and breath taking. Never had she seen a castle so magnificent and beautiful! Why hadn't she seen it before on the helicopter?

The reason why she hadn't was obviously because of the illusion spell that wizards had placed on Hogwarts and Hogsmeade to stop Muggles, like her, from seeing them. Viewing them only as mere ancient ruins that were uninteresting to anyone. But the spell had been specifically designed to prevent people from seeing the school and village from afar, and Rebecca had long since crossed the line over into Hogwarts' grounds and beyond. When she had done that, the spell had lost its effect on her and she could now see it in its true form.

Buckbeak whooshed past the school, passing by the tall frame-glass windows with the bright lights blazing out of them. Rebecca wished Buckbeak would stop, so that she could see inside, but of course that was impossible. They flew past Hagrid and Firenze once more, both of them waving up to her as a sign of good luck and farewell.

She gathered her courage, holding tightly onto Buckbeak's feathers with one hand, and waving down at Firenze with the other. It was too far for her to see his face, but she could only guess that he was smiling sadly at her.

Buckbeak soon passed them, and they flew higher into the sky, the forest and Firenze shrinking below.

"_Goodbye, Firenze_," she said silently into Buckbeak's feathered mane. "_I won't forget you…ever._"

While from down below, as Rebecca flew by, Firenze also whispered _"Goodbye, Rebecca. I won't forget you." _

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While back on earth, or more precisely on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Firenze stood where he was, watching Buckbeak's form slowly disappear into the distance.

"Will Buckbeak take good care of her?" he asked Hagrid.

"Oh, no fear of that, Firenze!" the half-giant replied good-heartedly, but added in a low whisper, "_Long as she don't pull out any of his feathers_."

If Firenze heard him, then he didn't show it. He merely looked up at where Rebecca and Buckbeak's forms were no longer visible, then turned around and started to make his way back through the forest.

"You sure you gonna be all right?" Hagrid asked in concern. "I know you Centaurs have a tendency to be a bit…_over the top_, when dealing with oaths, honour and all that."

"I'll be fine," Firenze promised, though not quite as assured as he would like to be. "As I told Rebecca, Bane has no definite proof that it was I who assaulted him. My herd can do nothing."

"Very well," Hagrid replied unsure. "But you know…if you ever need a place to stay or anything, Hogwarts could certainly use some of your talents."

The young Centaur looked at him curiously. "What possible need would Hogwarts have of me?"

"Well, you're a fine warrior, that there's no doubt. Personally, I think you'd make a fine teacher myself! Also, as a Centaur, you're very well trained in the art of stargazing…"

'Sometimes too well trained, if you ask me,' he added mentally.

"… I'm sure Dumbledore would be delighted if you asked for a position here."

Firenze frowned. "It is tempting, friend Hagrid…" He spoke the truth when he said that, as the idea of teaching foals, even human ones, some of his race's ways was very appealing. However, the herd had already expressed their anger and displeasure of the way he had allowed the human, Harry Potter, ride on his back the night when he had saved him from the Dark Lord. He sincerely doubted that they would look any kinder if he chose to actually work alongside them. Even Safyph might take umbrage at that. But then again…

"Don't answer right away!" Hagrid added hurriedly. "There's no rush, and we have plenty of teachers for the moment. Just let us know if you ever come to a decision, okay?"

Firenze nodded, and gave Hagrid a friendly nod of respect before turning around to leave. As he turned, he took one final look at where Rebecca had been. "Farewell, Rebecca," he whispered, and then took off into the dense forest, galloping back home to face whatever punishment his herd might see fit to administer.

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**3 Weeks Later: **

Over the course of the next few weeks, life began to slowly return to normal for everyone. Buckbeak had successfully taken Rebecca beyond the boundaries of Hogsmeade, near to the Muggle-airport where she had first come from. After she had shakily gotten off Buckbeak's back, he had immediately taken off again, returning at once to Hogwarts, like a homing pigeon, and that was the last she saw of him.

Buckbeak returned safe to the school, apparently unseen. Whether Dumbledore ever knew of Hagrid and Buckbeak's role in the aid of Miss Leicester was never revealed. If he did know of it, then he never spoke of it.

Once Buckbeak was gone, she had immediately hurried the rest of the way to the airport, eager to find somebody to call her home and let her parents know where she was. It was only when she got there and found a young maintenance man, working on the engine of a small plane, when she had paused.

The man had asked her what had happened, where she had been, and more importantly…what the hell was she wearing?

She had remembered Hagrid's words to her, about keeping silent about the Centaurs and the world of magic itself. As long as she kept quiet she would be all right, but if the Ministry of Magic ever suspected that she, a Muggle, knew about the wizarding world and all its mystical creatures, then they would erase her memory of everything.

She had told the maintenance guy that she simply couldn't remember. She had been on her way there, to the airport, to go on a helicopter ride with a friend, and that was the last thing she remembered. She had even gone so far as to rip off the Hogwart's crest from the robe that she had worn, when his back was turned.

The maintenance man had called the police, who then had taken her to the hospital to have her checked out and evaluated. Rebecca thought she had done a rather splendid performance of playing a girl with total amnesia, and it obviously worked since the doctor seemed to totally buy her story.

Her parents had then been contacted, naturally, and they had driven all the way to Scotland to get her. The reunion had been an emotional one, with tears of joy coming from her mother, but also rather surprisingly from her father as well, whom she had rarely known to ever cry.

The police had been all over her case, trying to find out where she had been and such, but in the end it was concluded that unless Rebecca recovered her memory, then there was little chance of them ever finding out.

The only other person, besides her family, who was thrilled at her return, was her best friend Chloe. They had spent nearly every day chatting together, for weeks. She had been disappointed, but not surprised, when she had asked Chloe what she remembered from when they last saw each other, only for her friend to remember nothing. Chloe had told her that they had meant to go on a helicopter ride together, only for Rebecca to chicken out at the last minute.

There was no apprehension or confusion in her voice or face. Chloe actually believed that was what had happened! Apparently, Hagrid had not been exaggerating when he told her that wizards could play with her mind.

Rebecca had toyed with the idea of telling her the truth, as she and Chloe had rarely kept secrets from one another, but in the end she had decided that it was better off her not knowing. Especially with what happened a few days later…

There had been one scary day when three men had come to her family's house. They claimed to be from the police, just following up on some new evidence that had been brought to their attention. However, Rebecca didn't recognise any of them from the police who had talked to her before, and during the questioning they didn't act like the regular police. For one thing, they didn't bother to write down anything that she said.

But she stuck to her guns, as it were, and told them all the same thing that she had told everyone else. She didn't remember anything beyond going to the airport in Scotland.

After she repeated the same thing about three times to the men, they finally seemed to believe her, and left. That was the last anyone ever heard or saw of them again, and the _strange_ thing was that no one in the police force knew anything about those so-called officers.

There was little doubt in her mind that those men had been from the Ministry of Magic, sent to check if she remembered anything about the Forbidden Forest or any of its magical creatures. Thankfully, though, they must have believed her.

Time passed, and gradually life began to move on again. Rebecca tried to put her experiences with the Centaur herd behind her, focusing more on the future ahead. Her parents were still obviously curious about where she had been for so long, but they were so happy about her safe return that they weren't too concerned about it. And since they had no great desire to find out the truth, then neither did the police. They concluded that Rebecca had most likely gone on some trip by herself, and got hurt which caused her amnesia. It wasn't the best of explanations, but it was sufficient enough to close the case.

As for Rebecca, after much deliberating she had finally made a choice over what to do with her life. She had dreaded what her parents would say once she told them, but in the end she had decided not to bother going to either Oxford or Cambridge, and instead go to the "Istituto Internazionale di Studi Classici di Orvieto" in Italy, to study art and art history.

Needless to say, her parents' reactions could have gone a lot better.

"_**WHAAAT?" **_

They couldn't understand why she would want to give up a promising career in medicine, not to mention going to one of the greatest universities in the world, and settle for a mere career as an artist. From the moment she told them, they had spent nearly every waking moment after trying to convince her otherwise.

Actually, when they first learned of her intentions, they had more or less _told_ her to forget her foolish idea and go to Oxford or Cambridge, as always intended. But the days of them telling her what to do were over, as she herself made clear…

"_It's what I want to do! It's my life, my choice, so I'll do whatever the hell I want! And if you don't like it, then don't bother!"_

Her parents had been amazed at the change in their daughter's personality upon her return. Before, she had always been so submissive towards them, always agreeing with them over every trivial matter, but now…now she seemed so assertive, positive and strong. It had been an astounding change, and not one that was easy for them to get used to, but Rebecca's choice was absolute. They could either accept her decision about what she intended to do with her life, or cut her out of their lives. And after only just getting their daughter back, seemingly from the dead, her parents were not keen to lose her again. So they had begrudgingly accepted her decision, and her father even paid for her tuition.

It had been hard at first for her to find a placement, as she had never paid much attention to her Art studies at school, having been told to focus more on subjects that would get her into medicine. But after she had posted some samples of her work to the school, they had offered her a place almost immediately. They had been especially impressed with her sketch-work of a Centaur.

She studied hard, and became a quite well known painter in the school, thanks to her inspired works of Centaurs and mythical monsters. A fearsome painting she did once of a giant spider earned her many credits.

As for Firenze, his assumptions about what Bane and the herd would do to him were almost exactly on the dot. Since Bane had never seen who had attacked him from behind, he could not say with absolute certainty that it had been him. It was all, as the police would say, circumstantial. Therefore, the herd had no choice but to absolve Firenze of the attack.

Their frustration at having lost a promising Breeder like the young human had, however, been high. And although nothing was ever said about it again, it was clear to everyone that Firenze had to be guilty, as everyone knew that he had been the most against keeping her. But without proof, they could do nothing.

However, because of this unproven crime, the herd's attitude to him had become less than welcoming. They kept a close eye on his activities, watching his every move, and were hostile to him whenever possible. And partly because of their attitudes towards him, when Professor Dumbledore made him the offer to become one of Hogwarts' teachers of Divination, he accepted.

When the herd found out, they retaliated in anger, calling him a disgrace to their entire race, and attempted to kill him. It was only thanks to the intervention of Hagrid that he was spared, but he was still cast out, condemned to live out the rest of his days as an exile. However, his time at Hogwarts was very rewarding, and he found the work to be the most fulfilling he had ever done in his life, and he never regretted it.

And when Hogwarts became the field for the final battle with the evil sorcerer Voldermort, Firenze and the rest of the Centaurs all took to arms, fighting against the Dark Lord.

During the battle, the Centaurs all watched as the humans they had always believed to be nothing more than honourless tree-destroyers risked their lives, and sometimes even their souls, to defeat the evil one. Many lives were lost, and their sacrifices impressed the Centaurs so deeply, even Bane, that many decided that maybe pro-human leanings were not so shameful after all.

This, together with the injuries that Firenze had sustained during the battle, earned him a place back among his people. They had always believed him to be weak and softhearted, but the warrior spirit he had shown in battle had dispelled that belief, proving to his brothers that he possessed the courage of a true Centaur warrior. Thus he was welcomed back to his home with open arms and good-hearted cheers.

Even after his return to grace in the eyes of his herd, Firenze continued to teach at Hogwarts. Many of his herd frowned at this, but like Rebecca, Firenze had learned how to stand up for himself. He had found a home at Hogwarts, one that was as important to him as the one with his herd, and the work he did there did much to break the barriers between the humans and his race. He made his stand before Magorian and the rest of his herd, and when he showed his determination, they accepted.

So, in the end everything turned out more or less for the best, as Rebecca and Firenze both did quite well for themselves in the long run. And although she could never talk about it, Rebecca always remembered her time in the Forbidden Forest and the lessons it taught her. But most of all, she never forgot her friend, Firenze.

**The End…almost! **


	9. Epilogue

**_Neither Harry Potter nor any of the characters associated with him belong to me. They are JK Rowlings. I'm not in this for the money, just for fun!_**

**_A lot of what's in my fic will be based on what's seen in the movies, with some references from the books, hence Firenze will not be blonde, but dark and more beastial like, as will the rest of the Centaurs._**

**_I would like to thank Pensieve Plotter for her ideas, and for her permission to use one of her characters and a scene from her fic. Thank You also goes to InferiorBeing for her help in editing, and to Aesop for co-writing some of the scenes__!_**

**_This chapter is set during 'Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix'! _**

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**Forbidden Forest; **

**2 Years Later: **

Professor Dumbledore silently made his way through the dark forest, his wand forever at the ready, in case he needed it. He knew better than anyone that the Forbidden Forest was not forbidden without good reason.

He also knew he was taking a huge chance by coming this far into Centaur territory _alone_ because of the recent hostilities between the herd and the Ministry. But try as he might, he knew he could not just sit idly by and leave Dolores Umbridge to her fate. There was no telling what the Centaurs might do to her for her derisive words to them.

He would have come sooner, but the recent fight with Voldermort at the Ministry had, needless to say, taken up most of his time. Today was the first chance he had got to go get her…assuming she was still alive, of course? The Centaurs were a honourable race, but they were also notoriously fierce, especially when one insulted or belittled them. And from what Harry had told him about the way Umbridge had spoken to them, not to mention what she had done to their leader Magorian, then just finding her _alive_ might be a bit much to wish for.

He didn't doubt that Umbridge, if the situation were reversed, would most likely leave him to the Centaurs' _tender mercies _and be done with it, but fortunately for her, he was not like her.

"Sometimes, having a conscience can be a real burden," he said to himself, shaking his head.

After walking a little deeper into the woods, the sound of men's angry voices, shouting through the air, reached his ears. The Centaur's herding ground was near. He walked a short distance more, and soon the bright firelights of the herding ground came into view.

Dumbledore knew this was _not_ going to be easy. Once a Centaur sets his mind to something, it was almost impossible to get them to change it. Especially if that decision involved punishing someone who had wronged the herd, like Dolores had. And considering her outrageous behaviour towards them, it was going to take all of his diplomatic skills and cunning to get the herd to even listen to him, let alone release her.

Approaching the edge of the herding ground, he took a deep breath and pushed through the bushes; taking care not to fall down the small bank those bushes concealed, and stepped forth to face the Centaur herd.

The scene that greeted him was typical for the Centaurs, as they were all involved in their usual nightly activities, consisting mainly of drinking, eating and wrestling with one another. The only thing, he noticed, that seemed out of place was a group of four large Centaurs who were standing closely together, side-by-side in a tight circle, their arms folded.

The sight of them reminded him of the Queen's Guards at Buckingham Palace, as they stood where they were, almost perfectly still, giving no response to any of the herd's activities, which was a most _un_-Centaur trait if ever he saw one. With all the amusement going on around them, it seemed almost unnatural for any Centaur to stand still for so long and not join in.

The only sign of movement they gave was the occasional shift of their weight from one hoof to the other, and when they shuffled their backsides against each other, most likely to scratch themselves.

Ignoring them for the moment, he quickly made his presence known. "Hail Magorian, leader of the Centaurs!" he called out respectfully to the Centaur leader.

The herd immediately ceased their activities, turning in surprise to look upon the intruder in their land. Many of them grew angry at the sight of the human in their midst, but before they could think to act, a lone chestnut-coloured Centaur stepped out from between them. They kept silent in his presence, as he regarded the elderly human for a moment before answering.

"Dumbledore," Magorian greeted the human in a low but respectable tone. "You're a fair way from your castle, are you not?"

The old wizard nodded. "I am afraid I am here on official business, my friend."

Some of the Centaurs took umbrage at the presumption this human showed in referring to their leader as a friend, but a look from Magorian soon quieted them down. Yes, Dumbledore was a human, but he was also a powerful wizard, known and respected for his great wisdom. Even Safyph, their ancient elder, knew of him. As such, he deserved their respect also, and had the right to speak, if nothing else.

"What business, prithee tell, is that?" Magorian asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "I am here to ask for the return of the human woman, Dolores Umbridge."

Magorian's nostrils flared at the mention of the woman's name. "You dare mention that…that _toad-woman_ in my presence! Do you know what she did to me?"

He nodded. "I was made aware before coming here, yes."

"She used one of those blasted wands of yours to conjure up a rope, had me tied up like a common horse, and then proceeded to throttle me with it!" He snorted in rage. "If anything, I should have done the same, and strangled that fat throat of hers long before now!"

"So she's not dead?" the headmaster of Hogwarts asked.

Magorian gave a small smirk. "Not yet, no."

Dumbledore could see no sign of her, and assumed her to be in one of the huts. "Nevertheless, I ask for her return."

Magorian's nostrils were soon flaring again. "Watch yourself, Dumbledore," he said warningly. "Your wisdom and power are known to us, and your name is an honoured one, but that will only get you _so_ far. That woman not only assaulted me, but she insulted my entire race, right in front of us all!"

"I do understand, Magorian. Believe me when I say you are not the only one who has had a bad experience with Miss Um...with _the woman in question_." He avoided saying Umbridge's name again, for fear of angering Magorian further.

"Ha! What would you know, human?" Bane's angry voice shouted out.

Dumbledore gave the dark Centaur a quiet stare before replying. "I know full well, Bane. Because I welcomed her into my school with open arms, right before she exiled one of my staff, usurped my position and stole my school, and then proceeded to torture my pupils for not obeying her endless list of stupid rules."

Bane mercifully went silent.

"Why then are you here to retrieve her?" Magorian asked, genuinely confused. "If anything, it sounds to me like you should be cheering for her head louder than we."

Dumbledore shrugged. "I have now since been reinstated as the official headmaster of Hogwarts, and as such it is my solemn duty to protect all those under my care, whether they be my students or my staff. The woman, duplicitous as she is, still falls under that category."

Magorian cocked his head thoughtfully. "I understand your commitment to protect those you're responsible for, Dumbledore. As leader of my herd, I understand that all too well. But for her insults, our law demands retaliation!"

The cheers of his herd soon followed, chorusing their approval and agreement.

Dumbledore held up his hand to speak further. "You desire justice for the wrong done onto you, Magorian. That is understandable, and you certainly have the right. But do you desire justice…or simply revenge?"

"There is no difference to our herd," Magorian replied darkly.

"Maybe not. I can certainly understand your preference to it. It is something that Dolores Umbridge herself would gladly attest to, as I imagine she would undoubtedly approve." He risked mentioning Umbridge's name again, in the hope that comparing Magorian's attitude to hers night help him see sense.

It seemed to work, as Magorian's face darkened again, incensed at being compared to the toad-woman in question, but before he could give a reply...

"But if you want this disrespectful woman to be punished for her crimes," he suggested, "then all you need do is release her to me, and allow me to return her to our world outside the forest."

Magorian laughed. "How exactly is _that_ a punishment?"

"Because," he explained, "in our world, this proud and arrogant woman values her political status more than anything. Yet while she has been…_away_, news of her underhanded activities at Hogwarts, the crimes she committed against not only you but on everyone, has become public knowledge. This has cost her greatly, resulting in the loss of her reputation, and with it her importance in the Ministry. For her, this will be the same as if you, a Centaur, were to lose your honour in front of your whole herd. Something I know you consider a fate worse than any other."

The Centaur leader paused, frowning as he considered the idea of sending the Umbridge woman back to face dishonour and discrimination from her own people. He had to admit, the idea had its merits.

"Not only that," Dumbledore added. "But, frankly, it would also be far less trouble for you."

Magorian looked at him. "How so?"

"You have forgotten the peace treaty between our two races, Magorian. Despite her crimes against you and yours, this woman was not on your land, and by the treaty it is forbidden for you to take any non-consenting humans back to your grounds."

"_It would not be the first time,"_ a voice said from among the herd, but whomever it was that spoke was ignored.

"Are you threatening us, Dumbledore?" Magorian said dangerously.

The headmaster shook his head. "Not at all, Magorian. I am merely laying all the options out to you, so that you may know and consider all before making your final decision." He explained. "_If_ the Ministry of Magic were to declare war on you, even for such a meagre thing as this, I have no doubt your race would fight to the bitter end, and ensure a long and bloody battle for us all. But, alas, this war would mean the loss of so many lives, not only for us but for your kind as well. And it seems like such a waste of time and effort for one lowly, and _stupid_, woman who talks first and thinks later."

Magorian turned his lower lip at Dumbledore's words.

"Ask yourself this, Great Magorian," the aged wizard said finally. "Is this woman really worth all this hassle for you and your herd? Do you really want to risk going to war and losing the lives of your brave warriors…_for her_?"

Magorian gave a big snort at that, pawing at the ground with his hoof in frustration, and after a few more moments, he made his decision. "You've made your point, Dumbledore," he rumbled. "Your words speak true. You may take the toad-woman, you call Dolores Umbridge, back to your world."

"Thank you, Wise Magorian," Dumbledore said gratefully, bowing before the Centaur leader, while inwardly making a sigh of relief. "You have made a most wise and informed decision. Oh, and incidentally, please give my regards and deepest respects to Safyph when you see him. Tell him I miss our evening debates."

"As I'm sure he does."

The reason Safyph wasn't there was because the elder Centaur sometimes took a little time out from his duties to the herd to do some stargazing. Dumbledore often met him in the forest, late in the evening, and together the two of them had had many talks and debates about various subjects. Most of which usually ended with neither of them winning their polite arguments, whatever the topic. The two of them proved to be just as stubborn and smart as each other, which made their friendship all the more interesting and stronger.

"Now then, if I may ask… " Dumbledore enquired. "Where is Miss Umbridge?"

Magorian then gave a big smirk, and turned toward the circle of four Centaurs who had hardly moved a muscle before or since Dumbledore's arrival. And it was only then, in the silence of that moment, that Dumbledore's ears made out the muffled squeaking sounds coming over from them.

He looked over to them, and his eyes widened a little when he noticed a small but recognisable brown bow sticking out from right in-between all of the Centaur's back-ends. It bobbed up and down frantically between them, like a fly that was trying to escape a trap.

"Brothers!" Magorian called out to them. "Back away and give our _guest_ some air!"

"_Awww,"_ one of them said sarcastically, chuckling. _"But she's so warm and comfy." _

"_Couldn't we keep her for the winter season?"_ one of the others added mockingly. "_She and her flabby flesh are better than a warmed bear-skin rug!_"

All four of them laughed, while they shuffled their backsides against each other again, eliciting further desperate squeaks from behind them.

Magorian laughed. "Afraid not, friends. She's the human's problem now. Anyway, I'd gladly suffer a whole winter of frostbite than put up with one more minute of that large trap she dares call a mouth!"

The whole herd had to agree with him on that, as the four Centaurs finally broke their circle and moved away.

Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow, as a shaken and distraught Dolores Umbridge stood revealed, only to fall to the ground, gasping for breath, as the Centaurs all moved on.

He looked over at Magorian who merely shrugged. "It was her choice," he said, starting off a round of loud laughter from the rest of the herd. "She said she would rather look at the back-end of a Jackass than stare at us, so we gave her the next best thing."

That was the truth. After being captured and brought to the herding ground, Dolores Umbridge had shouted and bawled non-stop, yelling about the Ministry's laws. She had called the herd countless names, and belittled them with numerous insults. Not even the tip of the Centaurs' arrows at her throat had been enough to silence that over-sized mouth of hers.

The final straw had been when she had refused to look Magorian directly in the eye, when speaking to him, which had been an unforgivable sign of disrespect. When she refused, she had replied, exactly as Magorian had said, "I would rather look at the back-end of a Jackass!"

After Magorian had given a snort of anger, he had then stopped, grinned and replied, "If that is your wish, then allow us to provide you with the next best thing."

Before she had time to stop and consider his words, another Centaur had grabbed and pushed her roughly from behind, sending her straight into the midst of four huge Centaurs, each looking none too kindly down on her.

"How dare you! I demand…" she had started, but before she could finish her sentence, the four Centaurs had gathered around her in a perfect circle, each with their tail turned on her.

"Wha…?" she had begun to say, but the four of them never gave her a chance to finish. They had then quickly backed up, pressing their backsides right into her, squeezing her between them tighter than a tin of sardines, with Dolores screeching the entire time.

The entire herd had all just laughed, as the top of her fat head had stood out from between all the Centaur's buttocks, her cheeks unbelievably swollen up to twice their usual size, as the air was squeezed from her lower body.

Her screams before had been shrill and annoying, but at that moment they were deafening, as she screamed to be released. The herd's only response had been for her four captors to squeeze themselves closer to her, causing her head to sink down until only her little bow could be seen. Since then, it had continuously bobbed up and down from between the Centaur's rear-ends as she tried unsuccessfully to escape. Her screams reduced to muffled squeaks.

As well as being an act of utter humiliation for her, it had also served the herd well by hushing her up, while they had determined what to do with her. By the time Dumbledore had come to them, she had been stuck like that for several hours.

"_Well_," Dumbledore said, cocking his head slightly. "I suppose that's _one_ way to hold a prisoner in check."

"You are free to take her," Magorian told him. "But do it now before I change my mind!" Dumbledore nodded his thanks to him, and wasted no more time, as he held out his hand to help Dolores to her feet.

"You…disgusting…filthy…" she tried to say, glaring daggers at the whole herd, but Dumbledore held out his wand to her lips.

"Miss Umbridge!" he said warningly. "Take my advice, for once, and keep quiet until _after_ we're back at Hogwarts. Or at the very least until after we're out of Centaur territory!"

That seemed to do the trick, as she ground her teeth in rage, but stayed silent.

Dumbledore gave another sigh of relief. He had managed to convince Magorian to release her, without harm, but he doubted he could do so again, especially if she tried the herd's patience any further. The Centaurs would only need one more excuse to start trampling her to death.

She allowed him to help her up, not even realising yet that he was once again Hogwarts' rightful headmaster, and staggered tiredly beside him as they departed the herding ground.

"See you around_, butt-monkey!"_ one of her four captors called after her, turning around and shaking his entire backside at her, laughing. Dumbledore had to suppress a smile at that, guessing that Hagrid must have been teaching a few of the Centaurs some Muggle words again.

"_HA! Butt-monkey? More like a butt-__**toad**__!"_ one of the other three added, also turning around and letting loose an excess of wind at her, followed by the other two who joined him, eliciting a fresh roar of laughter from the whole herd.

Umbridge's face was bright red with fury and humiliation, her fists clenched tightly till her knuckles turned white, but still she said nothing.

"Oh, one more thing, Magorian?" Dumbledore then added, turning back to the Centaur leader. "Forgive me for asking, but I understand you and your herd have been moving out of your territories lately. May I ask why?"

Magorian snarled. "Ask your precious Ministry! They're the ones who have been robbing us of our lands!"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I won't deny the Ministry has been restricting your lands as of late, Magorian, but…from what I understand, I believe you and your herd were seen out of your territory long before the Ministry even began making the restrictions."

Magorian snorted. "We were not moving out of our borders, Dumbledore! We were searching for someone."

"Oh, may I ask who?"

Magorian's face darkened a little more. "Someone who is ours by right, and will be again. Even if we have to gallop all across the globe to find _her_!"

Dumbledore paused slightly at the Centaur leader's last words, but made no sign of acknowledging them. Umbridge, on the other hand, seemed momentarily distracted from her fear and rage, and looked thoughtful.

"I see," he said simply. "Then I wish you luck in your search, Magorian. Farewell, till we meet again." Without another word, he helped Umbridge by half-carrying her out of the herding ground, and started trekking through the forest on their way back to Hogwarts.

He suspected the identity of the person they referred to, but knew that, for the moment, he could do nothing about it, as the war with Voldermort took precedence over everything. Plus, it was doubtful the Centaurs would ever find her, considering how far she was from the forest.

'Doubtful,' he thought, 'but not impossible.'

He could only hope and pray that the Centaur's search would forever remain a fruitless one.

'My prayers are with you, Miss Rebecca Leicester.'

**The End? **


	10. Note

**Just a note to let those who viewed and favourited this fic know; ****I have finally finished and started uploading a sequel to this story!**

**The story is "The Muggle and The Centaur 2". (Not very imaginative, I know, but naming things was never my thing.)**

**You can find it on my FF account.**


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